Reliving the Past
by MataraHealbo
Summary: A strange non human has the last shipment of good from Alderaan. Once she has collected her fee she finds herself thrown in with a group that helps her find romance and of course lots of adventure to keep her interested.
1. Chapter I

Her ship shot through hyperspace, Kayylla sat at the controls of the 'Minimzer' brooding over what she had witnessed at her last stop. It was hard to believe that a government could do something so, so barbaric as destroying a defenseless planet like Alderaan. She was probably one of the richest smugglers around. At this moment she had a cargo hold full of products and other items from the destroyed planet. Maybe some of the last items anyone would be able to purchase from the Alderaan System.  
  
Kayylla's original plan was to take her cargo to Ord Mantell, but that has changed. She could make a bigger profit on Coruscant. She hated the place because of the Empires xenophobia. Oh she didn't look like a non-human, that is until you saw her eyes. They were completely green, it was normal for her species. The Lasthunians lived on a planet just outside the Hoth system. One of the strange things about the Lasthunians is that it's species is entirely made up of females. They never worry about reproducing, every member of the species returns to Lasthunia to be reborn if you would call it that. Once they reached a certain age they must return and be placed into a rejuvenation chamber that changes them back to early adulthood. They are an adventurous species, they love a good fight. They are in some ways like the Wookies, once they find someone that they can feel close to they stay with that being until the day of their rebirth.  
  
Kayylla couldn't remember how many times she had been reborn. Each time she went back she requested a memory wipe. There were those who refused the wipe but they were the historians recording everything that goes on in the galaxy. She didn't want to be responsible for all of the memories that went with the job.  
  
The 'Minimizer' dropped out of hyperspace a few hours later. She could still remember the first time she set eyes on this wondrous planet. A planet consisting entirely of one city, the only part of the original rock covered planet that was visible were the Manarri Mountains. Which compared to mountains on other planets, they were actually considered hills more then majestic peaks.  
  
She piloted her ship to the lines of entry down to the 'surface.' She waited almost two standard hours until she reached the front of the line.  
  
A voice crackled over her com. "Ship ID and reason for visit?"  
  
Kayylla cleared her throat and flipped the switch. "This is the 'Minimizer' with a hold full of cargo."  
  
"Everything checks out, you are to land at bay 1038." The voice cracked threw again a few moments later.  
  
"Hey." Kayylla yelled at the comm. "That's in Invisec. I've got very expensive and rare cargo here, I can not get a decent price for this there. I demand to be allowed to land some place else!"  
  
"There's nothing I can do about that 'Minimizer.' Now you can take it or leave it. It's your choice." The voice said with a hint of glee. "You could always higher a broker." Came a crackled laugh threw the comm.  
  
"Fine, I'll take it. How long before the shield open?" She asked threw clenched teeth.  
  
"Move forward and head on down to the surface. Enjoy your stay." She flipped the switch before he could make another comment and flew down to the planet below.  
  
It's not that she didn't like Invisec, it's not exactly the right place where she wanted to sale the kind of cargo aboard her ship. She would have to do this the hard way, which wasn't so bad now that she thought about it.  
  
She finished shutting everything down and double checking all of the alarm and security system. Kayylla stood once she knew everything was all locked down. She was not going to take any chances with anyone stealing this cargo from her. She strolled down the small corridor to what she called a lounge and stepped to one of the hallowed out panels in the bulk head where her weapons stash was kept. She finished strapping and hiding any weapon she could think of ever needing then stepped to the hatch opening.  
  
Her hand print locked the hatch which set the hydraulics that brought the hatch slowly open. Once Kayylla was outside her ship she set the ramp up and locked the 'Minimizer' down good and tight. She felt safe now, her ship was more protected then an Imperial prison. No one could get into it now.   
  
Traveling the lower section of Invisec was not something you did alone or unarmed. Luckily Kayylla could take care of herself and she also knew how to use every weapon she carried on herself. She needed to get the word out on what she had. Any merchant would want to purchase her good, after all they wouldn't be able to get these items from Alderaan anymore. It gave the venders an excuse to jack up the price for their goods. She would have to be shrewd in her dealing, she wanted a high price for these items.  
  
Kayylla went down a few more warrens when she came upon the place she was looking for. 'The Headquarters' some run down cantina that served the worst drinks this side of Tatooine. It made her wonder why the place even stayed open. The exterior of the place looked about as good as the interior, if not better. She found an open spot at the bar, nudge her way in, and caught the eye of the bartender. She stopped drinking long ago so she ordered nothing when the bartender approached. As he was about to leave she placed a one hundred credit chip on the bar and slid it to him.  
  
"I need some information spread around." She moved her fingers from the coin and looked at the man with her glowing green eyes.  
  
The 'tender dropped his towel over the coin and leaned forward. "What sort of information do you want spread?" He asked as he cleaned the spot where the coin used to be.  
  
"I'm looking for a buyer who might be interested in some goods no longer available." Kayylla answered in a hushed tone.  
  
"Yeah, well how do I know it even legit?" He asked looking her up and down.  
  
"That's not for you to know." She bit back. "I just need the word spread that I'm looking to off load some goods from Alderaan."  
  
"What? How did you get that kind of stuff? The planet blew a few days ago." He asked leaning forward on the bar.  
  
She smiled to herself, good, they had heard the news by now. "I told you, you don't need to know. Now I need that spread around. I will return her in two standard days. Tell the hopefuls I will met with them then." She turned and glided out of the place leaving the bartender a little dumb founded over what he had just been told.  
  
The bartender got the attention of one of his helpers to take over of him. Then moved to the store room, grabbed his cloak and left to find his own contacts.  
  
Winding her way through the underground warrens Kayylla noticed it did not take as long the second time to reach the 'Headquarters'. Entering the tapcafe, her senses were flooded with many strange smells. She wanted to cough but held back the urge. She moved down the steps with grace which many species longed to perfect. Her cloak barley moved as she wound her way threw the crowed to an open booth near a curtain partition in the back.  
  
The bartender set a long cylindrical glass in front of her and motioned to someone at the bar. The bartender moved off as a Deveronian sauntered his way over to her booth. Seating himself in front of her, he placed his sharp nailed hand on the table near the holo disk in the center.   
  
"Can I help you?" Kayylla asked looking the Deveronian over.  
  
"The word is you're looking for a buyer to take some items off your hands." He said with a sharp toothy smile and leaning against the booth wall.  
  
"Yes, I do believe that is what I am looking for. Now, how much are you willing to pay for the items?" Kayylla remarked.  
  
"It all depends on what you have and the quantity of it. So, what do you have?"  
  
Kayylla motioned for him to move in closer. She knew it was a mistake to tell him every item she had aboard her ship but she was willing to chance it. Besides it couldn't hurt to embellish a little now could it?  
  
"Now what's your price?"  
  
"I'll give you 50 thousand now and I'll give you one hundred thousand once I get the merchandise." The Deveronian said smiling at her as though she was a Gamorian.  
  
Kayylla placed her hands under her chin and calmly replied. "No."  
  
The Deveronians face registered shock then anger. "How can you turn down an offer like this?"  
  
"You call that an offer?" Kayylla laughed in response. "I will be in contact with you. Besides I have other buyers waiting with better offers. Now if you would be so kind and step aside, there are others waiting." Kayylla motioned with her fingers for him to leave the booth.  
  
"You'll regret this. I made the best offer you could have had." He said as he got out of the booth.  
  
She motioned towards the bartender and two Trandoshans removed the Deveronian from the 'Headquarters.'  
  
The other dealings seemed to turn out the same ways as the first. Most were kind enough to remove themselves under their own will, others however, had to be removed by the Trandoshans. Kayylla was growing tired of these little games. She was getting ready to leave when a human male stepped threw the opened doorway. A hush fell over the patrons as he descended the stairs, he moved silently to the bar. He spoke briefly to the bartender and was then directed to her booth.  
  
He walked with an air of authority. To Kayylla it looked as though he was in the military. 'Good.' She thought 'They've got more many then what they will ever now what to do with.'  
  
"I, ah suppose you are the one I am to meet with?" The human said sliding in across from her.  
  
"Depends on what we are meeting for." Kayylla said eyeing the male across from her.   
  
"I've heard something's." He said placing his arms on top of the table.  
  
"What might they be?" She asked.  
  
" I've heard that you have some of the last items to ever come off Alderaan." He said with a smile.  
  
"If that is what you are looking for, then you have come to the right place. Now how much are you willing to pay?" She said leaning towards him.  
  
"We are willing to offer you a quarter of a million credits for your goods." he said with satisfaction.  
  
Kayylla disguised her surprise with a smile. "You have got yourself a deal. Meet me outside docking bay 1038 tomorrow morning, you only need to bring a transport and some help. I will be waiting there with everything unloaded. You had better have the money."  
  
"Oh, we will." He said and got up and left the smoke filled room.  
  
She didn't trust the man but he had the best offer of the evening. She had no choice but to go with the deal.  
  
The Imperial walked briskly away from the 'Headquarters' tapcafe. It didn't take him long to reach the abandoned building which held a hidden turbo lift. H was on his way to his superiors to report on his assignment he had just completed. The time passed quickly to ascend the 40 levels to his superiors offices. The doors opened with barely a sound, he stepped out onto the carpeted flooring and proceeded down the hall. The door at the end of the hall opened upon his arrival and closed without a sound once he entered.  
  
"Ah, Major Fenel. Your back sooner then expected." A heavyset man said behind the desk in the room.  
  
Fenel saluted and held the position until it was returned. "Yes General Derricot, the meeting went easier then I expected. The person who I met with was very eager about the price that was made." Fenel said stepping towards his superior.  
  
"Very good. When does the transfer take place?" Derricote asked.  
  
"We have arranged to meet in the he morning at docking bay 1038." Fenel answered.  
  
"Invisec!" You agreed to pick the items up in Invisec? How could you do this? You know how I feel about aliens. Is there any way to change the drop off?" Derricote shouted leaning forward on the desk.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but there is no way of changing the drop off. She never gave me her comm signal or her name. I also agreed upon the drop off place because there is a likely chance of anything happening to the merchandise. Besides she would be more at ease in Invisec then any other place on planet." Fenel said raising his voice to that of the generals.  
  
"Why should 'she' feel more at ease there? Is she an alien? Derricot questioned coming around to the front of the desk and stood in front of the major.  
  
"Yes she is a nonhuman." Fenel said looking past him out at the city scape beyond the desk.  
  
"What kind?"  
  
"A species I have never seen before." Fenel said bringing his gaze to meet that of Derricotes.  
  
"What does she look like?" Derricote pressed..  
  
"From what I could see of her, she seemed tall, auburn hair, slim figured, very beautiful. Oh and green eyes." Fenel said with a smile as he thought of her.  
  
"That's it? How do you know she is an alien. She seems perfectly human from what you've said." Derricote said taking another step towards the major.  
  
"No sir, her eyes are completely green. I have never come across any species like her before."  
  
"Thrawn." The General whispered. "It can't be can it?"  
  
"Begging the Generals pardon?" he asked.  
  
"What? Nothing, your dismissed." Derricote said giving him a half salute.  
  
Fenel saluted and left the Generals office wondering what could have made the General so frightened. He walked down a different corridor to another turbo lift which sent him to a lower level where Major Jace Fenel got off and was lost in the crowd.  
  



	2. Chapter II

"Tava." Kayylla swore in her native language as she dropped a small crate on her foot. "Why did I shot that droid on Sluis Van?" She questioned while she turned the crate upright. Scanning the crate with a trained eye she checked for breakage. Picking it up once more Kayylla placed it on top of the other crates aboard the repulsor sled. She could have had the Imperials do this work but that would mean they would see her ship, and that would give away her scam. They would know her small ship would not be able to hold all of these crates. That would lead them to opening the crates and discovering most of them were empty bottle and other junk instead of the labeled articles from Alderaan. And that would not be good.  
  
Looking over the crates one last item Kayylla caught a glimpse of movement off to her right. Slipping her blaster from her left hip holster she crept noiselessly to one of the dark corners in the bay. Searching in and around the abandoned crates she was surprised to find nothing there. To be safe she checked the remaining corners. In the end they all ended up the same as the first. Holstering her blaster she set about maneuvering the sled to the entrance way. Waiting for the prearranged time. Kayylla paid close attention to the darkened corners. The time was close enough, doing one last once over of the bay Kayylla opened the entrance and guided the sled thru.  
  
  
He waited a few moments after the strange female alien left the docking bay before the Deveronian removed the cover plate to the ventilation shaft, where he hastily hid himself. Placing the cover plate back in place he set about the work he came to do. Setting his pack down by the closest landing gear, he proceeded to unpack his explosives.  
  
Working quickly the Deveronian had placed his explosives in critical areas on her space craft. Stepping back to admire his handy work the Deveronian set the timers then crawled back threw the ventilation shaft to a safe distance away.  
  
After proceeding through a network ventilation's ducts, the Deveronian crawled out only to face a blaster in his face. "You've been a busy boy, haven't you?", growled the weapon's holder, a ruggedly handsome pilot who still wore his battered flight helmet and dirty orange flight suit. "Now, how about you let me know what the disarming code is for the explosives, and I let you go without extra body openings? Sound fair?" Five minutes later, the last charge had been removed from the ship, the pilot admiring the handiwork of the Deveronian. "Sequencer charges rigged to blow from a modified thermal detonator timer. Cobbled together, but clever. A shame I didn't live up to my end of the bargain about letting him   
go......oh, well." He sat the defused explosives down near the entry ramp of the 'Minimizer', along with a quickly scratched note, "Found some slaymo planting these on your ship, took the liberty of removing them and teaching him not to do it again. Courtesy of the occupant of Docking Bay 1037, Captain Davro Stfal." With that done, Davro crawled back to Bay 1037 via the vent system and went back to checking his own vessel, the not-quite-so-stock freighter, the 'Stormrider'  
  
"KC! Where you at, KC?", Davro called out when he reached his freighter. A squat little astromech droid rolled out from behind the starboard landing strut, chirping it's greetings to it's master. "Make sure those lateral thrusters are ready, then come help me with replacing that bad alluvial damper. With a brief whistle, R2KC rolled off to it's work. Davro examined a greenish patch of corrosion on the hull, rubbed at it with his sleeve, then boarded and went back to change his clothes. He emerged wearing a set of stained coveralls and protective goggles, his sandy hair obscuring the goggles' strap. Going quickly to his work, he lowered a new alluvial damper down from his cargo hold on a replusor pad and moved it below the service hatch. He stepped onto the pad and raised it to the gaping service entry.  
  
Within an hour, the old damper lay on the hangar floor waiting for pickup by a junk dealer. Davro went to the cockpit and fired up the engines, then checked the diagnostic screens for damper problems.  
  
"Growls like a Wookie...", he said approvingly. "Here's hoping my new gun modifications fight like one, too."   
  
Leaning against the doors of the docking bay 1038, Kayylla waited for the Imperials to come. She checked her chrono every few moments. Finally she had had enough of this waiting, grabbing the controls to the repulsor sled Kayylla started turning the sled around when she heard the familiar echoing clip of Stormtroopers. Letting out a sigh of relief Kayylla cut power to the sled and waited for the troops to round the corner. Her let hand never left its place at her side, you could never be too careful when dealing with the Empire.  
  
The echoes of the footsteps were getting louder, Kayylla could see many shadows scurrying or darting out of the way of the on coming troops. Twelve troopers came around the corner of a dilapidated building off to her right. Kayylla was amazed at the number of troops the Imperial had brought with him. Behind the troopers was a troop transport, hovering on repulsors a few meters above the durocrete floor. 'That is probably the transport they will be using to haul the cargo away with.' Kayylla thought to herself as she came around to the front of the repulsor sled. There she waited for the Imperial to approach her.  
  
He took four long strides to reach her, clasping his hands at the small of his back, he puffed out his chest and said. " I can see you have brought the merchandise."  
  
"Yes, I have. Have you brought the payment?" Kayylla asked him as she reached into her hooded vest pocket and retrieved her data pad.  
  
"Of course, is your data pad capable of down loading a payment/" The Imperial asked her as he brought out his own data pad.  
  
"Of course it is capable to down load, what data pad is not capable of that?" She as she set her jaw at his insult to her and her equipment. Flipping open her data pad she punched in her access codes to her account. he got the holo with that, punching in his own access codes. He showed her the amount in the account and then proceeded to transmit the amount into her account. The data pads beeped with the completion of the transfer. Once the transfer was complete Kayylla punched in a new set of access codes that sent the newly deposited amount to another account only accessible by her.  
  
Kayylla handed over the controls to the repulsor sled after she placed her data pad back into her pocket. The Imperial nodded to two stormtroopers who stepped forward and guided the sled to the transport. It didn't take the dozen stormtroopers long to unload the sled, once the unloading was finished the same two troopers guided the sled back to Kayylla's side.  
  
"The transport is ready when you are sire." the closer of the two stormtroopers said.  
  
"That will be all then." The Imperial said. With that the troopers turned and marched off towards the transport. Turning back to her the Major spoke, " I wish you well on your future trades."  
  
Kayylla thought she detected a slight smile on the Imperials face. But before she could be sure a high pitch whine cut into her thoughts. Snapping her head up towards the sky Kayylla's eyes widened in shock. There coming down on them was a Chariot Assault Vehicle. It's veiwports open with stormtroopers and there weapons aimed at the small group.   
  
Kayylla glanced over towards the Imperial, his eyes were now wide with shock as well.  
  
  
Davro had just shut down the engines and stepped outside the hatch of the 'Stormrider' when he saw the Imperials move past the access doors to bay 1037. "Something is up, they don't go in groups that big for just patrols, and they didn't come after me.....better check it out. KC, restart the engines and keep 'em warm, we may need to get out of here fast. Be ready to angle the deflectors shields if I come running back here,", he said. "Oh, and charge up the gun batteries.", he added. Davro threw on his helmet and an ablative vest, holstered his blaster pistol, and grabbed a blaster rifle from the weapons locker. Now armed, he headed back out of the ship, out the main access doors, and followed the Imperials' last direction. He caught sight of them as the stormtroopers were finishing the loading of numerous crates and boxes, and the officer in charge was completing a transaction with a remarkably beautiful alien smuggler. He quickly noticed which bay they had stopped at.   
  
"I am so glad I kept HER from being blown up....", he muttered, his mouth unconsciously hanging slightly open. The sound of the diving Chariot Attack Vehicles snapped him out of his trance. The crimson arc of blaster-fire began to pelt the ground among the troopers and vehicles, pinning the men down and keeping them away from the heavy guns on the transport. Davro slung his rifle on his back and sprinted to the transport, diving into an open hatch, and working his way to the gun cradle. He quickly sighted and fired on a passing Chariot, deftly placing several rounds into it's engines and forcing it to break off it's attack. Davro climbed back down to the driver's seat, fired-up the engine and began moving the transport to block the access doors to Bay 1038. Kayylla, seeing the transport lurch into motion and turn to the doors, quickly hurried back into the docking bay just as the transport smashed diagonally into the doorway, effectively sealing it off.   
  
"What kind of idiot pulls a move like that?!", she asked herself.   
  
As if in answer, the hatch over the driver's seat opened and Davro's helmeted head popped out.   
  
"I think that'll keep them out for a little while. Did you get my note?"   
  
"Who are you and what are you talking about?", she confusedly asked.   
  
Davro pointed at the charges sitting next to the 'Minimizer's hatch, and scanned the skies for the return of the Chariots. "Removed those from your ship, you better get moving. They'll be coming back soon...". As if on queue, the blaster fire resumed, though not as accurate. Several shots went wide and blasted the ventilation entry to rubble, blocking any future journeys. "Uh-oh, there goes my escape route. Look, I don't suppose you could give me a lift to a safe spot I know about? I could replenish the fuel you use getting there, offer you a few hot meals, and a place to hide out?", he said hopefully. "Otherwise, I'm stuck here..."   
  
"I'm sure that I'll live to regret this, but, come on....", she muttered.   
  
"Great!", Davro exclaimed as he took his commlink from his belt. "KC, take-off and use escape course #7, I've got a ride and I'll see you there. Shall we go before more Chariots show up?"   
  
Major Jace Fenel came to his senses once the troopers in the assault vehicles started firing on them. He didn't have time to question why the stormtroopers were firing on him and his troops, and waiting around for answers was not an option. He glanced at his own troopers and saw they had already filed into the transport and were taking off, without him.   
  
Jace turned back to the unusual alien and saw she was boarding the ship in the docking bay behind them. She wasn't alone though, a new comer had joined her. Probably the owner of the craft that blocked the bay. He couldn't tell what race the being was, they were wearing a flight helmet that hide their features and gender.   
  
He looked around for the a quick exit when he noticed movement off towards the docking bay. It was the unusual alien, she was waving to him.   
  
"Are you coming or are you going to stand there and wait for more troops to come?" she yelled across the way.   
  
Not wanting to pass up a free ride to freedom he ran towards her craft.   
  
She met him at the ramp, green eyes bright with excitement. "Glad you decided to join us, now strap in. Sorry about the limited space." She said as she strapped herself in, with that she headed for the traffic lanes above.   
  
Davro hurriedly strapped himself into the navigator's chair, fished a data chip out of his belt pouch, and plugged it into the nav-computer.   
  
"Okay, I'm loading the course for the jump into hyperspace into your ship. It'll take a couple minutes.", he said, glancing at the Imperial Major sitting in the copilots seat. "You sure you want him along? He didn't seem too popular back there, but I guess any enemy of the Empire is a friend to me. Watch out, I've got a pair of TIE's bearing at point-oh-five! I hope this thing is fast....", he trailed off.   
  
"Let's hope the engines don't cut out on us." Kay spoke threw gritted teeth as she banked her craft to port. "Hey Imp, can you shoot?" She asked to Major when she came out of her turn.   
  
"Yes, of course I can." Jace said looking at the controls trying to decide which buttons fired what.   
  
"Hold on, I'd better fire, you can fly. Take the controls. Be careful though she can turn on a cred coin." Kay said as she flicked switches to rearrange the controls.   
  
Manning the guns from the pilot chair and with the piloting skills of the Imp Kayylla was able to disable or destroy most of the pursuing TIE's. Reaching the outer edge of Coruscant space wasn't as bad as getting into space. With the navcourse punched in they hit lightspeed once the 'Minimizer' was far enough out from Coruscants gravity well.   
  
"Alright Mr. Navigator, where exactly is my ship headed?" Kayylla asked after swiveling her chair to face Davro.  
  
  
Davro smiled broadly as he settled back into his seat. "We are currently headed for the Tarneb system. Binary star, one gas giant, two small planets close to the binary, and an enormous asteroid field at the fringe of the system."   
  
Kayylla and Jace simply stared at him, then almost in unison replied, "But there is nothing there!".   
  
Stifling a laugh, Davro continued. "I knew you'd say that. It appears that I know something you don't. Major, what do you know from your Imperial days about Tarneb? Let me go ahead and tell you; Tarneb is an assembly point for Imperial fleet vessels that were assigned to special task forces, then deployed from there. The Rebels knew that, too. That's why the Empire changed the staging area to another system. What the Empire didn't know was how the Rebellion got the information about operations staged from there."   
  
Davro paused, stretching leisurely before finishing. "In the asteroid field, there are a series of camouflaged observation satellites. These weren't enough to snoop for info, but they all sent data back to a small Rebel supply depot and listening post, situated in one of the larger asteroids. The depot then sorted the info and relayed it to the nearest Rebel ship or base for further use. When the Empire stopped using this system, the Rebels left too, leaving behind the outpost in case they needed it again. That's when I found it, it's fuel storage nearly full, cargo bays full of foodstuffs and life-support supplies, medical gear, a few astromech droids for maintenance and repairs, and a hangar big enough for a small compliment of starfighters, or a couple light freighters. There are docking claws concealed in other areas for large capitol ships to dock and resupply. The most interesting feature was in another asteroid nearby; a small dry-dock of Rebel design, with an old Republic courier corvette in the midst of being rebuilt.". He paused again to let this sink in. "I've been calling that place home for years now, selling and trading items from there to acquire the parts I need to have to finish the corvette. When it's done, I don't what I'll do; become a pirate, a mercenary, join the Rebels, or just retire quietly? Anyway, you'll be able to refuel and rest there for a while, my way of saying 'Thanks for the ride'."   
  
"I should be the one thanking you." Kayylla said. "If you hadn't come along, my ship would probably be in pieces by now. I can simply say thank you." she finished giving Davro a smile that reached her into her eyes.   
  
"Now," Kayylla said turning to the Imp. "Who are you? And why were stormtroopers firing on us?"   
  
"Well," The Imp said clearing his throat. " I ah, don't know why or who sent them. I can answer your first question though. I am, or was Major Jace Fenel, assistant aid to General Evir Derricote. I too thank you for saving my life back there as well." He said giving Kayylla a smile of sincerity. "I can not tell you how many times I have thought of ways to defect from the Empire. We stopped agreeing on many points of view some time ago." Jace said leaning back in the co-pilots chair and running his fingers threw his dark brown hair.   
  
"Well, I'm glad to have the both of you aboard. It gets very lonely traveling by yourself. I am sorry about the lack of space in here but I have been the only occupant for some time. If we are in for a long ride I do have extra blankets. There's room to camp out in the lounge, the refresher is small but it does it's part. Now Davro, how long will it take to reach your home?" Kayylla asked letting her auburn hair fall over her shoulders and frame her delicate face.   
  
Davro pulled off his helmet, and tucked his rifle into a niche in the corner, then turned to face the others. "We've got about two days of hyperspace travel, since we started from Coruscant. When we come out of hyperspace, we'll have another twelve hours of cautious sublight speed to reach 'The Rock', as I call it. We should be arriving there just after the "Stormrider" arrives in system drops out of hyperspace. We should dock our ships, then I can take mine and lead you in."   
  
Davro caught himself starting to stare at Kayylla's lustrous eyes, then snapped out it and blushed slightly. "So, uh, do you mind if I have a look around the ship? Piloting is my first love, but engineering is my second. Promise I won't take anything...."   
  
The next two days passed quickly, no mishaps with the engines forced them out of hyperspace. Davro voiced his approval with Kayylla's maintenance of the ship's drives on more than one occasion, and only suggested that she upgrade her guns anytime soon. Jace kept to himself, still puzzling over how the Empire might have found out he had considered deserting and moving on.   
  
On the second day, Davro checked their progress. "We're almost there, Kayylla. Standby to cut in the sublight engines.....in 3, 2, 1, sublight now."   
  
The "Minimizer" dropped out of hyperspace and initiated a scan, immediately picking up the "Stormrider" on it's scopes. Davro hailed his ship on the communit, "KC, stop the ship and prepare for docking, I'm coming aboard." The little droid's excited chirps resounded through the cockpit.   
  
In response, the sensor-image of the "Stormrider" slowed and stopped, holding it's position. Kayylla deftly moved the "Minimizer" over Davro's ship and docked with his dorsal hatch. After scurrying through the pressure hatches to his own ship, Davro set course to the asteroids nearby, with the "Minimizer" close behind. They wove between rock ranging from the size of a fist, to lumps larger than several freighters combined. At last, they reached an enormous asteroid, like a fragment of some moon that had exploded long ago.   
  
Davro flew under this planetoid, then up into a large cave who's opening was shielded from view. There, deep under the surface, a hangar forcefield was setup to hold atmosphere in, the landing areas clearly visible by Davro's landing lights.   
  
He set the "Stormrider" down at the very rear of the hangar, leaving plenty of room for Kayylla to land near a refueling port. He lowered the ramp, trotted across to the lighting controls, and brightened the bay. In one of the alcoves off the main hangar bay, the form of an old Naboo N-1 starfighter could be seen, resting in a support cradle with most of it's body plates lying on the deck beneath it. There was large blast door labeled "Ordinance" in red at the back of the hangar, and small blast door marked "Ops" to the right. Davro's droid, KC, came rolling out and opened the door to Ops, then waited for his master. "KC, get the crew out and have them check the other freighter out. Refuel it completely, check for any damage, use whatever you need out of stores. The two onboard are our guests, let everyone know."  
  
Once Davro had boarded his own ship Jace seemed to relax a bit. Kayylla could not understand why he did not feel comfortable around him. They both seemed nice and were willing to help her when she needed it, and from what she could tell they both had something's incommon with each other. It seemed flying was their passion and they are probably around the same standard age, but what did she know about humans and their male gender. Even though she had been reborn countless times she still had to relearn about different species and how they act and react with each other.   
  
Coming up to the opening Kayylla was amazed at what lay in the hanger. There in a corner sat a ship she thought she would never see in her lifetimes again. An old Naboo Starfighter.   
  
"What in the Empire is that?" Jace asked interrupting her amazement.   
  
"That, is a Naboo N-1 Starfighter." Kayylla answered in amazement. "That type of craft has not been seen for years. I wonder how he was able to get a hold of one."   
  
"What's so special about it? There are more modern crafts out there that probably offer more then that small ship." Jace said a little disgusted. 'Why would anyone want a craft like that?' he asked himself, not daring to voice it for fear of offending Kayylla and her strange interest in the craft.   
  
"The Naboo starfighter was the fastest ship of its time, or at least the histories say. It was, I believe, the first small craft to use an astro droid. I could be mistaken I only skimmed the information on the craft. Maybe Davro could tell us more about it." Kayylla said after landing her ship and cutting the power.   
  
"Oh, let's ask Davro. He'll know everything about it." Jace said in a heavy sarcastic voice.   
  
"What's with you two? Give him a chance you may get to like him." Kayylla said smiling at him.   
  
With that smile there was nothing else he could do but give into her.   
  
"You're right. We'd better not keep him waiting." Jace said turning to leave the cockpit.   
  
"Oh, you may want to leave your rank insignia here. You are not an Imperial officer anymore. Thank you for trying." Kayylla said standing on her toes and giving him a peck on the cheek.   
  
Jace waited for her to leave and head down the ramp before he let himself blush deep crimson.   
  
  
  
Days earlier a lone Imperial stormtrooper commander stepped into General Derricots office.   
  
"Well commander, report what happened. Is that alien dead yet?" Derricote asked as if he knew the answer.   
  
"I am sorry to say she got away." The stormtrooper said not backing down from the stare he was getting from Derricote.   
  
"What? How? I sent your men there to stop the transaction and to kill that alien. How could you fail?" Derricote questioned the man.   
  
"She had back up sir. We did not expect her to have a partner. He disabled one of our assault vehicles which caused Major Fenels troops to flee with the cargo. We were able to catch up with them and confiscated the goods." The commander said staying tight and rigid.   
  
"And where is Major Fenel? What did he have to say about this?" The General asked smugly.   
  
"We were unable to question Fenel sir. He was taken aboard the aliens ship, we believe against his own will." The commander responded, this time taking a step away from the General.   
  
"How could Fenel be taken?" Derricot asked letting surprise register on his face. " I want that ship and her crew and anyone else involved with this incident captured and brought to me. Now what of the goods? They had better be worth the price we had to pay." Derricote said calming down some.   
  
"I am sorry to disappoint you again sir but upon opening the crates we found more then half the crates were filled with trash. The rest were filled with seeds and other plants from Alderaan." The Commander said bracing himself for the explosion of the Generals anger.   
  
"Only half? Oh this alien will pay for this mistake. I still want them found and brought to me alive. I also want the goods loaded to my shuttle, I have work to do on Black Moon. In the meantime I want troops looking for these criminals. When they are found, bring them to Black Moon. They will rue the day they messed with me." With that the Stormtrooper saluted and left leaving Derricote alone in his office.  



	3. Chapter III

That evening found Davro, Kayylla, and Jace gathered in the small dining area, steaming bowls of Corellian gundar stew and bread before them.  
  
"I hope you don't mind Corellian food, mom's recipes are about all I have here, the autochef has been on the blink for a couple years and I just haven't got around to replacing it.", Davro said, blowing on a spoonful of hot stew to cool it. "I heard you mention the N-1 earlier. Interesting story there, it was going to be an item for barter. There was a fellow and Dantooine that I met who specialized in old starcraft parts. He said he could get hold of a replacement engine for one of the old Republic corvettes, like I've got in the dry-dock. Problem is, he wants a ton of cash for one engine, and I don't have anything he really wants. All the stuff I can gather from here is too modern and, technically, could be mark him as a Rebel supporter. However, he lacked a very rare craft that he really wanted. A Naboo N-1, in operational condition. So, I made him a counter-offer; I get him an N-1, he delivers ALL the parts I need to finish the corvette. He had to think that one over, but he agreed in the end. So, I managed to find a wreckage of an N-1 back on Naboo, in about 100 meters of water. It took quite a bit of negotiating with the Gungans, but I got their help raising it, disassembling it, and transporting it here. Once here, I reassembled the airframe and went through the systems, one-by-one, testing, troubleshooting, replacing and machining parts, and cleaning dirt out of everything. All that's left is reworking the body plates, replacing the cockpit canopy, weapons calibration, and test flying it. KC will be riding in the droid-socket, to monitor the systems and make adjustments in mid-flight. My big problem; the "Stormrider's' cargo hold is too small to fit a fully assembled N-1 into, and the N-1 isn't hyperspace-capable. They were fast sublight fighters, but they were local defense craft, no need to go to any other systems."   
  
He takes a couple more bites of stew, then continues. "The torpedo launcher was too badly damaged to repair, so I modified an Arakyd Flex-Tube launcher, originally for a Y-wing, and installed it. The original N-1 magazine fed rounds to it okay, minor changes to the fire control programming weren't too hard, and it can now use the new modern torpedoes that are being built. The droids here have been invaluable in their service doing this project. The hull plates should take a couple of hours, the canopy is in my freighter's cargo bay, I'll calibrate the weapons just before the test flight, test it, and give it it's original yellow-and-silver paintjob."   
  
He pushed his empty bowl onto a tray KC had brought in to collect the dishes with. "Thanks, KC. Well, I usually sleep in the pilots' ready bunks, but I think the officer's quarters would be more suitable for such esteemed guests. KC, get them anything they need, I'll go prep the rooms for them." Davro trotted off down the passage at the opposite end of the room, leaving them with patiently waiting astromech droid.   
  
Kayylla and Jace sat at the table glancing occasionally at each other through mouthfuls of stew. "How long were you with the Empire?" Kayylla asked breaking the silence and giving KC her empty bowl.   
  
"Hmm. Well, I went into the service when I was seventeen. I lied about my age, I thought it was what I wanted in life. I excelled in many courses but they saw me take charge of situations more then normal first years. They soon started grooming me to be an aid for many top ranking Imperials. I was General Derricotes aid for almost two years when I received the assignment to contact you. So my service was around seven years, I can't remember most of my time there. Most of the memories gel together, there really wasn't a lot of change from information piled waist high." Jace said while giving the droid his bowl and spoon. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? I mean your knowledge of the Starfighter would make you as old as some of the oldest Senators. I don't think that knowledge is readily available to anyone. Then there is your energy and physical features," he blushed at the mention of her looks, "make you younger. You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Jace asked while wiping the corners of his mouth.   
  
"I guess it would only seem fair that you know my age. To humans I am around 20 years. In years of the Lasth... oh never mind, forget I said that." Kayylla said a little nervously. She thought he didn't catch the last part but the puzzled look on his face told her differently.   
  
Racking her brain trying to find another topic when she saw Davro giving her a puzzled look as well. Had he heard what she had almost spoken?   
  
"Oh, you're back." Kayylla said rising gracefully out of her chair. "Are the rooms ready?"   
  
"Yes, follow me." Davro said dropping the puzzled look and turning towards the doors head had come through moments ago. "Your rooms are this way."   
  
No one spoke as Davro lead them through the corridors of 'the Rock'   
  
"Jace this will be your room." Davro said as he waved his hand over a sensor and stepping aside.  
  
"Thank you Davro for your kind hospitality. I can hope I will repay you one day." Jace said with out a hint of hardness or sarcasm in his voice as he entered his quarters.   
  
Once Jace's door closed Davro lead Kayylla a few meters down the corridor to a room on the opposite side of Jace. Waving his hand over a similar sensor Kayylla's door opened silently.   
  
Turning to face him she said. "Thank you again Davro. Not only for the hospitality but for the help you have given me." Before she entered her room she gave Davro a quick kiss on the cheek. She didn't wait to see his reaction, instead she slipped through the doorway and into the room beyond.   
  
Davro stood staring at the closed door, mouth open, frozen to the spot, not quite knowing what to make of the unexpected kiss. He closed his mouth, turned on his heel, and started toward the hangar. After going ten feet, he turned and went back, reached up to knock on her door, stopped himself, and proceeded back toward the hangar, shaking his head in disbelief.   
  
"Solo was right, a pretty face can get to the best spacer. This must be what he was going through with that princess he said he was in tight with....", he muttered as he hurried his pace. Reaching the hangar, he went over to the N-1, absently running his hand along leading edge of the body. KC scooted across the bay and chirped quizzically to Davro. "Hey, pal. Go ahead and recharge for the night, I'm going to work on this a little, then turn in. See you in about eight hours." KC rolled off to the maintenance area to recharge as Davro broke out his welding gear and began secure the body plates to the N-1's frame. 'Why am I so drawn to her...', he thought to himself. 'There is something about her....I don't even know what race she is, and I've been to lots of different places.'   
  
Before he realized it, he was placing the last body plate on and smoothing out the welds. He pulled his goggles off, dropped his welder, and walked back to get a shower before going to bed. He finished his shower quickly, went to his usual bunk, and tossed fitfully, his dreams haunted by visions of lustrous green eyes that he couldn't reach.   
  
He awoke, set out some fruit and a pitcher of hot drink, poured a cup, and went directly to the hangar. "Morning, KC!", he called out. "Go see if our guests are awake, I'll be working on the N-1."   
  
The little droid rolled off as directed, as he pulled the cockpit canopy from the "Stormrider" and began installing it. Within minutes, the canopy was working on it's servomotors, and he had climbed into the cockpit. "Okay, main generator on, repulsorlift system active, bringing weapons on-line....good. Activating targeting computer, begin calibration sequence."   
  
He eased back in the fighter's seat, relaxing as the computer ran it's tests and aligned the focusing mechanisms of the blaster cannons. He was starting to doze off when KC entered the hangar again.   
  
At the first glance of his room Jace was able to identify it as once being an Imperial base. The decor of the room had changed but not the layout. It was a simple room, big but simple in furnishings. There was a large bed in-between the walls as you entered, the refresher and closet were on the right side, there was also a desk off in the left corner. It was almost like his quarters back on Coruscant. That thought brought about others, mostly of why the Empire attacked them days earlier.   
  
While undressing Jace thought of possible answers to his question. Though the only one believable enough would have to be that the Empire wanted Kayylla or him dead. He couldn't think why though. Had Derricote found out about his plans of leaving. No, he couldn't have. He told no one and never made a record of it. So if the Empire was not after him then they wanted Kayylla. But why would they want her dead? In all his time with Derricote he had never come across any files about her or her strange race. What was it Derricote had called her before? Thrawn?! Maybe, he hated to admit it, Davro might know.   
  
All of these questions though would have to wait until morning. Jace crawled into bed and fell fast a sleep once his head hit the pillow.   
  
Meanwhile Kayylla sat on the large bed of her own room. She too was thinking, though not about the Empire. Her thoughts were on the feelings that were wrestling inside of her. She doubted she would ever understand them or human males for that mater. She wasn't blind, she did notice the way Davro and Jace looked at her. She too found herself staring at them from time to time. Jace with his big physic was probably ever human females dream. His smile and the way he allowed his dimples to show, and those gray eyes, cool yet carrying a warmth within.   
  
Davro on the other hand was different. He cared enough for a stranger to save them and their ship from a terrible fate. He was also ready and willing to help those in need. There was also that roguish nature about him that she seemed to enjoy.   
  
She did not know what these feelings were or how to stop them. The feelings had started once they were in hyperspace after leaving Coruscant behind. She also didn't know why she had kissed them, it seemed and felt right at the moment. Lost in though she had not noticed how late it was getting. While she undressed Kayylla noticed the refresher had a shower in it. Hoping a nice hot shower would help clear her mind, she also hoped Davro did not mind. Kayylla enjoyed the shower, it was one of the nicest she had taken since her rebirth four standard months earlier.   
  
Once she finished her shower she chose what she would wear the next day. Earlier she allowed KC to bring her few belongings to her room. She chose a pair of black tight fit pants, a white blouse and her knee high boots. Once that was completed she was able to retire for the day.   
  
Dispite the hot shower Kayylla had had a fitful sleep. She had awaked many times throughout the night with strange dreams, they were hard to remember but they left her feeling uneasy. She was already away when KC came the next morning to bring her to breakfast. She followed the little droid into the hanger, she knew instantly what Davro had done last night.   
  
She was amazed that he had finished the N-1 already, all it needed now was the paint. Davro noticed her the moment she entered the bay area. The sleep deprived eyes and the hint of black around them told Kayylla he had not sleep well. She hoped the signs of her own sleepless night did not show on her face.   
  
He had hopped down out of the cockpit and headed towards her smiling. She noticed a slight cock to the smile almost out of pride in his work.   
  
"Morning." she called when he reached her side. "I can see you were busy last night. I hope you slept well." She said as he lead her to the dining area.   
  
"Oh, you know, catching a few winks when you can. I Jace not joining us this morning?" Davro asked with a hint of hope to his voice.   
  
"Yes he will, he wanted to shave first and then we will meet us." Kayylla said taking the seat Davro offered her. "How is the N-1 coming along? It looks great. Will you be test flying it soon?" Kayylla asked genuinely interested in his answer.  
  
"I think she's ready to go. Just needs a shake-down flight to test all the systems together and do some target firings of the weapons in space.", he said, just before his stomach gave a long growl. "Let me grab a piece of fruit and I'll be right back..."   
  
He returned a moment later, Jace following at a slightly slower pace. Davro wolfed down the last bite and jumped into the cockpit as KC rolled under the fighter to be pulled up into the droid socket. "You in, KC? Okay, power up the main generator, bring up the BPU, initiate engine startup...."   
  
The cockpit's lights flared to life as the engines began lightly whistling, then increasing to a high-pitched whine.   
  
"Go to full diagnostic mode, KC. Let me know if anything looks bad.", he yelled over the engines, just before he cycled the cockpit closed and began lifting the fighter via the repulsorlift drives. "Let's take her out, slow and easy...". The sleek hull of the N-1 began inching forward as he applied more and more throttle to the main engines. He broke through the force field and dropped out of sight from Kayylla and Jace.   
  
"Test, 1,2,3.....", came over the hangar's loudspeakers. "Can you hear me?"   
  
"Yes, we read you..", replied Jace, sounding totally non-plussed.   
  
The fighter dove through the cavern and burst out into the asteroid field, narrowly missing a large rock.   
  
"Alright, testing pitch and roll thrusters,", he chimed as he rose and dove around debris. "Bringing her to a stop, preparing to test weapon systems." He lined up his sights on a small rock some distance away, and triggered a burst of blaster fire, blowing the rock apart. "Blasters working. Arming torpedo system, locking on, and firing!" The torpedo flew true, striking it's target and throwing fragments in all directions.   
  
Satisfied with his testing, he turned the fighter to head back when a laser shot hit a rock just to his right. "Attention unidentified starfighter. This is Lt. Jaxon Skreed of the 315th TIE Interceptor Squadron based on the ISD 'Vegeance'. You are in a restricted sector and in possession of an armed starfighter. Power down your weapons, and follow us to our star destroyer, or you will be eliminated as an enemy of the Empire. Do you copy?"   
  
"Oh, hell....KC, redirect weapons power to the shields! We gotta get outa here! I hope our friends are getting all this.....I'm switching all power to rear shields!"   
  
The N-1's shields flickered to life as Davro turned-tail and shot off through the asteroids as quickly as he dared. The TIE's wasted no time in pursuing and firing on him. He began making his way to the edge of the asteroids, rolling and jinking more and more easily as he got used to fighter's handling.   
  
"They're faster and have better guns than me, but are they as agile?", He said, whipping the fighter into a breakneck turn to the left as he balanced the shields. "I have to keep them away from home! If I can wipe them out and keep them from reporting back to their base, Kayylla and Jace stand a better chance of getting out of here undetected.....What am I saying?! Okay, Han, what would you do? Hell, you'd turn give and them a fight to remember you by. KC, power up the weapons. If we buy it, we'll go down with our guns blazing." He pulled up and over, and blasted back through the group of four TIE's that were following him. Cutting back to the right, he lined up on one, obviously less experienced than the others, and blasted him to shreds. Davro rolled left and dove behind a large rock with two TIE's back on his tail, the third heading back the way they had approached.   
  
"Damn, they sent the other inexperienced pilot back to warn the star destroyer. I gotta take him out...."   
  
He went to full throttle, switched to torpedoes, and lined up on him to get a target lock. His shields took several hits from behind, held up, he got the lock-on tone, and fired. The torpedo sped off, it's target hopping up to avoid the shot, unaware that it shifted it's course to correct. The fleeing TIE was vaporized as the torpedo's warhead went off.   
  
"These guys are mad now!", noted Davro, as his pursuers sped up, harrying his attempts to escape. "Aha!", he exclaimed, as he quickly shifted his shields to the rear, applied full braking thrust, and switched to blasters. The rocketing TIE's shot past him, and he wildly sprayed shots after them, tearing the wing panel from one and sending it careening into a large rock. An asteroid struck him a glancing blow, sending him spinning. KC fired the stabilizers to stop the roll and give him a chance to regain his senses.   
  
When he had cleared the dizziness, he saw he was face to face with the last TIE, hovering mere meters away from his left side. The TIE's pilot looked him and the N-1 over, nodded his head, and threw him a quick salute. Davro returned the gesture, looking over the TIE and it's pilot, then muttered "KC, switch to torpedoes." He then returned the Imperial's salute, at which the TIE moved ahead to gain distance. Davro   
held his position, swiveled the fighter slightly, and promptly blasted a torpedo into the TIE's back before it could turn and honorably duel with him.   
  
"Sorry, but I had others to protect, and couldn't chance losing that gamble....", he spoke, voice tinged with sadness.   
  
He turned the fighter, and headed back to the safety of The Rock.   
  
Once they heard the Imperial pilots voice over the hanger bays loud speaker Kayylla and Jace knew they could not stay at The Rock much longer. Wishing they had visual to see what was going on she waited nervously for Davro to return.   
  
Seeing the N-1 come through the force field of the bay she let out a sigh of relief. Once the fighter landed and Davro vaulted out of the cockpit Kayylla ran to him and through her arms around him in a hug.   
  
"You're alright." She said after letting him go.   
  
Davro only smiled back at her trying to hide the shock of the hug on his face. The smile faded quickly though and turned to confusion once Kayylla slugged him in the arm.   
  
"What were you trying to do out there, get yourself killed?" she said anger flashing in her eyes.   
  
Before Davro could answer her question Jace came up to them with smirk on his face. He could only guess he saw Kayylla hit him.   
  
"I hate to break up the 'happy' reunion but I suggest it is time we leave this place." Jace said stopping at Kayylla's right side. "Once the Star Destroyer notices its TIE's aren't coming back they'll come looking for them, and will find the debris of the TIE's out there."   
  
"Jace is right." Kayylla spoke before Davro could protest. "I believe the Empire is after me. I knew they would open those crates sooner or later. You can't gyp the Empire and get away with it. I'm sorry I got you both into this mess. I should go before they come back." Kayylla turned to leave but was stopped when a hand touched her shoulder.   
  
Davro held Kayylla's shoulder with a firm, reassuring grip, even as his own throbbed with a dull ache from being hit.   
  
"I'm not about to let someone leave in worse trouble than they were in, especially when part of it is my fault. If they would have blown me apart out there, you two wouldn't have to bolt out of here. Like it or not, we're all in this together. My suggestion; we go down to the supply section and gather what we need in the lines of weapons, supplies, parts, medical gear, and any extra munitions you want. There are a pair of Aratech military speeder bikes down there, if you need them. I'll gather my tools, KC, and some personal effects. Don't worry about space, I'll sleep in the cargo hold, if I have to. I can attach some drop tanks to your ship to increase it's range, if you like. Hopefully, the Imperials will detect a vessel entering hyperspace and give up the search for anything else here."   
  
Leading them down into the depths of The Rock, Davro entered the main storage area. Crates of spare parts, ration bars, medical supplies, and blasters greeted them, followed by a small motorpool area with two speeder bikes that had been assembled from crated parts, and a racing swoop built from an odd mix of speeder and starfighter parts.   
  
"The armory is over in the corner. There is a cargo droid that will load whatever you need...", he trailed off, running his hand over the controls of the swoop. He shook his head for a moment, then pulled his commlink from his belt. "Units 3 and 7, vehicle bay, load these two speeder bikes onto the "Minimizer".". He began walking to the armory, ticking off numbers on his fingers. "KC, go get the cargo sled and meet us here.". He cycled the blast doors to the armory open and stepped in, then began selecting boxes from the racks; two cases of thermal detonators, a case of sequencer charges, 6 blaster pistols, 6 blaster rifles, spare power-clips, and three EVA suits. He next loaded up first aid supplies and rations. He stopped and mentally double-checked his list.  
Kayylla and Jace grabbed the boxes Davro had placed aside for their evacuation.   
  
"Are you sure you'll have enough room for all of this?" Jace voiced his concern after looking over the amount that would have to be loaded aboard the 'Minimizer'   
  
"My ship does have secret compartments you know. How else could I have gotten my last shipment aboard in the first place. Besides if the boxes don't fit we can always take the contents our and store them easier in smaller places. I can always buy a new ship at some shipyard on our way. Now lets hurry." Kayylla said in a quavering voice. She picked up a box of rations, before she was able to place it on the cargo sled she spilled the contents across the floor.   
  
"Are you all right?" Jace asked kneeling by her side. He noticed her hands were shacking uncontrollably. "Let me finish doing this, you go and get your belongings from your room." Pulling her to her feet Jace lead her out of the storage area.   
  
Jace walked over to Davro's side as he was taking inventory of the weapons they would take with them. Davro acknowledge his presence with a raise of his eyebrows.   
  
"Look, I know we don't get along much but we both have made some sort of agreement with ourselves to protect her in any way we can. I don't know why the Empire is after her, it could be the gypping of merchandise but they wouldn't go this far. The Empire also has her scared more then anything. She's afraid of them to find out something about there. At least that's my guess. I guess what I'm trying to get to is, can we put aside our differences towards each other and help her get through this?" Jace asked with what sounded like real sincerity.   
  
Davro stared at Jace a moment, then hung his head. He snapped his head back up, looking Jace squarely in the eyes.   
  
"Okay, MAJOR. Lets get some things straight, you already have two marks against you in my book; you were an Imperial officer, and second, you turned traitor and ran from your own side. I'll completely trust you when you saved my back in some way. Until then, I'll keep the general peace with you. But mark my words, if you make one wrong move or turn on me or her, and I'll burn a hole through you with your own blaster. Now, it's only fair that I level the playing field with you. This goes no further than you! I left Corellia when I was a wet-behind-the-ears kid when I signed on with the first starship that would take me. It happened to be a pirate vessel looking for new crew members. For years, we raided the shipping lanes, hitting only food and medicine shipments, and dropping our cargo at backwater planets by running blockades and picket vessels, you know, those things that make life interesting in the Imperial Navy. Our captain did this to help the sick and starving on dozens of worlds, places the Empire wasn't concerned about helping because they weren't tactically important or rich. We never made any profit above what it took keep the ship running and pay the crew. After the captain retired, he sold the ship and paid the crew with equal shares, I used mine to buy my freighter and started my own shipping career. I took jobs from whoever needed my services, Imperial, Rebel, whoever. Then the Empire decided that I was a suspicious vessel. I was boarded, beaten up, my cargo confiscated, and told to leave the system or be arrested and have my ship taken away. My cargo was foodstuffs and important medical supplies to fight off an outbreak of disease on the surface. Hundreds died because my ship wasn't allowed to make it's run. I swore to never let the Empire stop me ever again. I armed my ship, and began running guns and explosives to make money for outfitting for war."   
  
"The captain I served under treated us like we were the lowest form of life in the universe, he led us from the front, and we admired him for it. He taught us that you stick to a cause no matter what. Well, I've made Kayylla's safety a sort of a personal cause. Now, if you think you can live with yourself for dealing with a rouge, a scoundrel, a pirate, a mercenary, a rebel, whatever else you might think of me, then I suggest we get going.", he finished, thrusting his hand in front of Jace, who cautiously shook it, almost expecting Davro to try and pull his arm off.   
  
They separated, and went back to loading the cargo sled, eyeing each other with a mixture of doubt and suspicion.   
  
  
Kayylla finished packing her belongings into her small pack. She had been able to pull herself together by the time she had reached her borrowed room. Making sure she left nothing behind Kayylla pressed the door release and stepped out into the corridor.   
  
She walked quickly to the docking bay and reached it at the same time as Davro and Jace. They had finished loading the sled and Davro was guiding it to the 'Minimizers' ramp. She noticed the stern looks on both men's faces, she knew they had had an argument of some kind. 'They'll have to work it out themselves, they are both adults.' Kayylla thought to herself.   
  
  
Walking to her ship Kayylla threw her pack onto her back and headed into the ship. Inside the hold are she started opening her hidden compartments making sure they had enough room inside. Once all the compartments were opened they started loading the supplies into every available space. It was difficult to move around the speeder bikes but they managed.   
  
Once all the supplies, rations and med. kits were loaded they all went back out into the bay to make sure they had everything. They double checked every room they had been in to make sure they had left nothing behind.   
  
They were now ready to leave. Kayylla and Jace stood back as Davro said his good byes to KC and his crew. She wished he could take his droid but she knew he would be better off her on 'The Rock.'   
  
All three boarded the 'Minimizer' and strapped themselves into their seats. Kayylla in the pilots chair, Davro next to her in the copilots and Jace in the Navigation chair. She noticed the hard looks Davro shot at Jace through out the flight into open space. 'This is going to be a long trip.' She thought.   
  
"We are heading towards Kuat at the moment." Kayylla said once they reached hyperspace. "I want to get a bigger ship that also has bunks. If we are going to be together for sometime we are going to need some place else to sleep then the holds floor."   
  
Both men only nodded at her suggestion. "If you two don't mind I'm going back to try and get a few winks in before we drop out for a new course correction." Kayylla said as she stretched getting out of the pilots chair. "I also don't want you two killing each other while I'm gone." She said green eyes blazing then left the cockpit.   
  
Clearing a space for her, Kayylla laid down and was soon fast asleep. Her dreams were filled with images of her home world Lasthunia. She stood on the green hills of grass, watching the animals graze, and seeing the small cities dotting the horizon. It was a peaceful planet, she wished she could be there now.   
  
The plains started getting darker and darker, then out of the sky red bursts of laser shot through the sky. Looking up a scream caught in her throat, there above her sat three star destroyers. Their triangle shaped forms gliding across the blue cloudless sky. Each one opened fire on the hills around her. The cities were disintegrated by the turbo lasers shots and women with blue and green eyes like hers running trying to hide. The shuttles came down soon after, loaded with stormtroopers. Each one taking aim at the women as they ran by. Kayylla was finally able to find her voice she screamed in terror knowing no one would come.   
  
She had woken herself with her screams, she was now sitting up drenched in sweat, her auburn hair plastered to her face and her blankets were in disarray around her. She stopped screaming long enough to hear booted feet coming towards her.   
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter IV

Davro dodged and vaulted over and around the clutter and reached Kayylla as she was sitting up.   
  
"Are you alright? What happened?", he asked, Jace following close behind. She tried to tell them, but couldn't find the words before nearing another outburst.   
  
"It's gonna be okay, you're with us." He fished around in his pack and produced an extra blanket, which he folded and placed under her pillow for more support. Giving her a weak smile as she lay back down, he rose from his knees. "I'll be up in the cockpit if you need me..."glancing at Jace and blushing slightly.   
  
Once out of sight, he ran his hands over his face as he walked to the cockpit. "KC, I wish you were here, buddy..." He dropped himself into the copilot's chair, checking the instruments, then settling back. Not being able to sleep, he pulled his blaster pistol, field-stripped it, and cleaned it's mechanisms and lenses, then reassembled it, and holstered it again. Satisfied with his work, he began to drift off, the fatigue of his test flight and their hurried escape, and his virtually blowing-up at Jace.   
  
He awoke staring through the cockpit windows at the sight of the vast Kuat Drive Yards, one of the greatest starcraft builders in the universe. The "Minimizer" sped toward the center of the complex, past the skeletal forms of ships under construction and being repaired. Kayylla's nimble piloting brought them smoothly to dock with the central station.   
  
Davro busied himself securing their gear and packing the supplies. He threw on his jacket and quickly followed after Kayylla and Jace as they left to procure another vessel.  
  
Kayylla was amazed at size of the Kuat Drive Yards. Never had she seen so many ships in dry-docks and parked on platforms waiting to be purchased. Not all the ships on the platforms were made at the KDY, many had been brought in from all over the galaxy. She saw many models of the Corellian YT and YV   
hundreds, a few from the Incom Corporation and many more from other known yards. The hardest part of it all was deciding on what ship to buy. Hopefully with the help of Jace and Davro she would be able to pick the right one for them.   
  
She docked the 'Minimizer' in an open docking bay in between the Corellian Engineering Corporation and the Sienar Fleet Systems platforms. Exiting the ship they were greeted by a Kuat salesman. He wore the gaudy robes of the Kuat lower houses.   
  
"Greetings from Kuat. My name is Dirnk, and I will be your personal salesman. How my our ship yards be of service to you?" He said with no real pleasure in his voice.   
  
"We are here to purchase a freighter. It needs to be fast, plenty of room for storage and three separate sleeping quarters." Kayylla said emphasizing the need for storage.   
  
"Ah, I do have a ship in mind for you. Come, it is to the Corellian platform for you today. I must say though, none of our ships here today have separate quarters. The crew quarters have three bunks in them. If you want the separate quarters you will have to give up the storage space. which ever you chose." He continued as they reached the turbo lift.   
  
Kayylla glanced at the two men for any sign of disagreement about sharing sleeping space. Neither one showed any sign of objection. "That will do fine Dirnk." She said turning to the salesman.   
  
"I believe I have a ship in mind for you then. It is the YT-2800. It is only a few years old. It contains a class 0.6 hyperdrive, not as fast as the famed Millennium Falcon but faster then most ships out there. It carries laser and blaster cannons. This special model has both particle and ray energy shields. The generators have been up graded to maintain the powerful shields. More modifications can be purchased here, for an extra fee our mechanics can install them for you. I'm sure you would like a tour off the ship." Dirnk said as he boarded the ramp.   
  
Davro stepped aside and allowed Kayylla to board first. She met Dirnk in the hold. He started giving Kayylla measurements of the hold, she paid little attention to his voice. Instead she was already thinking of where they were going to place all of their cargo.   
  
Once he finished his spiel on the hold area he moved on towards the crew quarters. Looking in Kayylla was able to see three separate bunks, each against one of the bulkhead that lined the room and enough space for their personal gear. On their way to the cockpit Dirnk also demonstrated how to use the 'extra' storage spaces in the deckplates. The cockpit was similar to the design of the 1300's, the difference between the two crafts though was the placement of the cockpit. The 28's cockpit was placed where the 13's mandibles were. The piloting set was not as complex as the 'Minimizers.' Kayylla knew she had to have this ship, it was perfect for her.   
  
"How much?" Kayylla asked interrupting Dirnks explanation of the controls.   
  
"Oh, the price, yes the price." he said eyeing the group up and down. "it will be one hundred and seventy five thousand credits, I'm giving you a discount because I like the looks of you." He smiled greedily.   
  
Kayylla stood there a moment then asked. "How much will you take off for a trade in?"   
  
"You're not seriously thinking about trading in the Cloakshape are you? Those were canceled decades ago. You're not going to get much for it." He said with a smirk.   
  
"I see. Well there have been many modifications to her. She's hyperspace worthy, the hull plates have been doubled and has a larger cargo hold. You said it yourself, it is no longer being sold, there are many ship collectors out there who would love to get their hands on it. So lets take off twenty-five thousand from your quote and we will call it a deal." Kayylla said giving him her heart melting smile.   
  
Once Davro and Jace saw the smile, they knew the ship was hers   
  
Kayylla shook the salesman's out stretched hand. Once they released she added. "Oh, could you also throw in a few modifications? We can install them ourselves of course."   
  
Dirnk only nodded his head in agreement.   
  
"Wonderful, my companions here will tell you what we need. Davro since you know more about ships then I, how about you tell him what we need." She said turning to Davro. "I'll be getting the transfer ready."   
  
With that she pulled out her datapad and pulled up the amount of funds they would be using. She stood back waiting for the men to finish, she noticed Davro also let Jace throw in some input on some up grades they might need.   
  
Checking systems as he went, Davro had trouble containing his excitement over the new ship. He also felt flattered that Kayylla would trust his judgment regarding parts and upgrades.   
  
"Okay, she needs a new tachyon pulse converter, the old one is showing some resistance on the 'G'-band. I'd like to get another backup power generator, a lower powered backup hyperdrive unit." He then crawled up into the gun-wells to check out the armaments. "What the....you calls these guns?! Two twin-barrel turrets fitted with the old KG-19 laser barrels? No good, focusing lenses on the KG-series were prone to early wear and lots of flashback. I'll need 8 laser tips, same sort as the Incom T-38 X-Wing fighter, they last longer and have improved range and accuracy. And one more thing,", he added, "I need an R2 series astromech droid. There's nothing onboard for automated damage control, and I need one to talk to the ship's computer directly."   
  
He waited for the negative response, knowing full well that the military laser tips had little chance of being given, but he was curious how well this Dirnk knew his products.   
  
"Oh, while I'm thinking about, I have a professional question for you; what would be your estimate as to the value of a fully restored Naboo N-1 starfighter, with an improved torpedo system.?"   
  
Davro smiled and let the salesman chew the figures over in his head.   
  
"Well, ah since the N-1 is nearly impossible to find. You say you have a fully restored starfighter?" Dirnk asked noting the nod of Davro's head. "I would have to say, you could name your price for it. Any collector would pay a Moff's ransom for something that rare."   
  
Jace had a hard time covering his shock at the price the old fighter could bring. Too bad they had to leave it on 'The Rock'.   
  
"Enough with the talk of starfighters." Kayylla said coming back into the group. "The money is ready to be transferred over. Do you have the files for me?"   
  
"Yes, of course here they are." The salesman said as he reached into his belt pouch for her documents of ownership. "Here you go Ms...?" He said as he handed Kayylla the documents.   
  
"Ms. Sttan. Thank you again and I believe the transfer is complete. Where can we pick up our extra modifications?" She asked after she transferred the funds to the KDY central computer and pocketed the files.   
  
"I've sent for droids to bring and load your modifications. Your astromech will be here shortly. We had it off in another part of this bay." Dirnk responded after putting away his commlink.   
  
"Oh, a few more things if you wouldn't mind Dirnk. Could we borrow a loading droid to help transfer our cargo from one ship to the other, we also need this ship moved to the docking bay near my old ship. And lastly, we were never her. You have no knowledge of our existence or that the KDY ever owned a YT-2800. Do I make myself clear or does my friend over there need to help you understand that better?" Kayylla asked motioning with her eyes at the blaster in Jaces hand, aimed at the side of his head.   
  
"Oh, yes of course. I'm sorry Ms. but we have no YT-2800's available at this time. The last one was bought some time ago. Is there anything else I can do for you kind beings?" Dirnk asked though his voice sounded forced.   
  
"Thank you but no. We'll keep in touch." Davro said keeping his own hand close to his blaster still holstered at his hip.   
  
As they headed for the turbo lift they head the familiar beeps and whistles of an astro droid. From behind an old model YV-500 rolled a yellow and white astromech droid.   
  
"I would like to introduce you all to R2-F8. F8 this is your new master." The salesman said almost in relief at getting rid of the droid.   
  
They all entered the turbo lift and seconds later they were back in the docking bay they had started in. By the time they reached the 'Minimizer' the loading droids and their modifications were on their way in.   
  
All three worked hard to unload the 'Minimizer' of it cargo. Once the ship was empty Kayylla's new ship had landed and was being loaded by the droids with few encouraging beeps from F8.   
  
"Kayylla, what are you going to name your ship and your droid? Jace asked when they took a small break from loading the ship.   
  
  
"Well, I have always liked the name 'Atropos.' I can't remember what language it is but it means 'the abhorred shears.' As for the droid I think I will call her Fate. What do you think of that Fate?" Kayylla asked the droid. It responded with an excitement of whistles and beeps.   
  
They all chuckled at the droids positive response. "Then Fate it is." Kayylla said. "Can you two finish loading the rest of the supplies? I need to make sure I did not forget anything on board."   
  
"Sure." Both men answered in unison. Then glared at each other when Kayylla turned her back and headed towards the 'Minimizer.'   
  
Once aboard her old ship Kayylla moved immediately to the ships log. Entering in her private access code she started to purge her ships memory. This ship had lasted her through three lifetimes, almost four. It was hard to let go but she had to. Her peoples lives were at stake if she did not get rid of it, and the records of the places they had been.   
  
Going back through her compartments Kayylla made sure there was no trace of her ever being aboard. She grabbed the tray of data cards from its own secret compartment under the copilots chair. She could not forget these, after all they were the brief histories of her people and their technology. She had to make sure these stayed safe or else her nightmare will come true. Making sure all the data cards were there Kayylla left the 'Minimizer' hoping the nightmares would stop.   
  
Davro was shutting the last storage compartment when Kayylla stepped aboard, a box under her arm. He gave it a moments thought, but it quickly left him as remembered that this was a new vessel, and probably had settings to tweak and performance to improve.   
  
He trotted up to the cockpit, and began running diagnostics and power-up sequences, watching the gauges, smiling at some and scowling at others.   
  
"Number 7 condenser array needs adjusting, power grid needs calibrating, and I need to install that backup power unit...." he muttered under his breath. He edged to the side to let Kayylla and Jace into the cockpit, then settled into copilot's chair.   
  
"Okay, main fusion reactor on-line, repulsorlift engines ready, sublight drive ready, hyperdrive powered-up and on standby. Life support system has a green-light, cycling the hatch and ramp closed, now......" Davro read off the instruments. "Atmosphere purged, we're ready any time you are to depart."   
  
Jace looked over from the navigator's chair. "Alright, where are we headed now?"   
  
"Set course for Ord Mantell. I should have headed there in the first place." Kayylla said strapping herself into the pilots chair. Her hands gripped the controls, she could feel the thrum of the engines pulsing through her. Excitement filled her as she switched on the repulsors and raised the landing gear. The 'Atropos' sat there, its weight supported completely by the repulsors energy field.   
  
A smile spread across her face as she guided her craft out of the docking bay and into the KDY construction yards. The ship guided with ease around the dry docked vessels waiting for repairs. The 'Atropos' soared over the port side of a newly constructed Star Destroyer and nearly collided with a Firespray class patrol and attack ship shaped like a pachyderm Kayylla had seen in a holo once. She corrected with a hard bank to starboard.   
  
"Where did he learn to fly?" Kayylla said to no one in particular. Suddenly her rear scopes pinged with a ship coming up on her tail. "What in space is he doing?" She said with alarm rising in her voice as the ship drew closer to her own.   
  
'Uh-oh', Davro thought to himself. 'This guy is looking for trouble.' He immediately angled the rear deflector shields and charged-up the guns. "Fate, see if you can get us any more power from the main reactor." The astromech droid gave whistle and rolled back to it's work. "I'm going back to the guns.   
Jace, keep those shields up. We're gonna make it out of here okay...." he reassured them.   
  
Bolting to the gunwell, he climbed into the dorsal gunner's chair, strapped himself in, pulled on the headset, and brought the turret on-line. deftly swinging the guns aft, he lined-up on the following Firespray and zeroed in on it's cockpit. "Okay, pal....make your move...." he muttered.   
  
As if on command, the Firespray opened fire on them, it's shots going wide thanks the Kayylla's quick reflexes. Concentrating on his task, Davro opened up on the Firespray, his lasers peppering it's forward shields with bright flashes and causing him to back off his close range. The onslaught continued, Davro refusing to back down and doggedly keeping Firespray in his sights and on the defensive. His determination paid-off when their assailant's shield finally dropped and several of Davro's rounds struck true, landing squarely in the Firespray's cockpit section. Long since clear of the Drive Yards, the Firespray spiraled away from them, heavily damaged, but not destroyed.   
  
"Heh, they picked the right place to fight. I'm sure KDY will gladly tow them in and repair their ship...." he spoke into his headset. "I'll stay up here until we've made the jump to lightspeed, just in case..."   
  
They had reached their jumping point without any further confrontations. Kayylla waited until the stars became starlines before she called Davro back to the cockpit. Moments later he walked through with a satisfied smile across his face.   
  
"Nice shooting back there Davro, I'm glad you decided to stay with us." Kayylla said with a smile and allowing a little color to reach her cheeks. "Who was that guy any way?"   
  
Davro opened his mouth to answer but before any words could come out Jace spoke up. "That ship was the 'Slave I,' owned by Boba Fett. Please tell me you've heard of Fett?" Jace asked when he saw her puzzled look.   
  
"Well no, not that I can remember at least. I have sort of been in seclusion for the past few years. Why, is he supposed to be someone important?" Kayylla asked standing so she could look at both of them.   
  
Davro stood there looking at her in amazement. "You've never heard of Fett? He's the most dangerous bounty hunter in the galaxy. How can you not have heard of him? Now he'll be after us."   
  
"Yeah, thanks to you for shooting at him." Jace said coming to his feet.   
  
"Hey! We are not starting a fight now." Kayylla said standing between the two of them, green eyes glaring. "By the time he gets his ship repaired we will be long gone. Let's forget about it and go over this ship. In know it's new but it needs some work. We have a days worth of travel still to go. So what do we need to do with her Davro?" She continued as she slid past Davro to the rest of the ship.   
  
Davro swallowed a reply and followed Kayylla back into engine section.   
  
"While we're traveling, we can install the backup power generator, I can check into some sublight drive adjustments, and see about channeling more power to your guns. Fate should be able to nearly install the power unit by itself in a couple of hours. I'll get on those sublight engines, see if I can't make this ship dance.", he chimed to Kayylla, smiling that lopsided roguish grin that made him seem both a saint and a   
scoundrel at the same time.   
  
He grabbed his aging set of hydrospanners and walked past Fate, who was installing the power unit. He reached the sublight drives, and started his work in earnest. After hours of cleaning, adjusting, calibrating, and testing, he emerged from service hatch nearly covered with grime, save for his beaming smile and a band across his eyes from his goggles.   
  
"I am pleased to announce that the salesman had no idea what this ship was equipped with. The sublight drive core on this thing is de-centralized, it is composed of ten Novaldex Event Horizon starfighter engines, same ones used on the A-Wing. They badly needed adjustment and calibration, but you're in for a pleasant surprise when we drop back to sublight."   
  
He giggled maniacally as he went back to get cleaned up.   
  
While Davro was off fiddling with the engines Kayylla and Jace set about taking inventory of what they had aboard and what they would need once they reached Ord Mantell.   
  
"From what we picked up at 'The Rock', we've got enough rations here to feed a small army for a week." Jace said closing the compartment where most of the ration bars were kept.   
  
"And the food prep is ready anytime we are, it needed a few tweaks. Now we can get anything from Dianoga delight to knytix soup, or anything else you can think up." Kayylla added coming out from behind the food prep. She wiped her hands on an old rag hanging from her belt, not realizing she had a spot of grease on her nose.   
  
By the time she had finished picking up her tools Davro had cleaned himself up from his work in the engines. "The rest of the modifications you need done will have to wait until we reach ground. You could do them in vacuum, but I wouldn't recommend it." He said drying his hands on a towel. "What's to eat? I'm starving." he added stepping over to the lounges table and taking a seat.   
  
"Anything you can think up. Kayylla's fixed the food prep and it's ready to go." Jace called from the other end of the lounge.   
  
"You two go ahead and fix whatever you want. I need to get a few things, then I'll join you." Kayylla said looking herself over for any spots she might have missed.   
  
"Let me help." Davro said getting back up from the table.   
  
"No. You sit and get something to eat, it will only take a minute." She said leaving the two of them alone.   
  
Walking quickly she headed to the crew quarters they shared. Once she entered the room, Kayylla a went straight to her bunk. She had paid close attention when Dirnk was showing her the secret compartments in the room. She applied the right amount of pressure needed to open the compartment fixed into her bunk. It swung open to reveal the box of datacards she had brought from the 'Minimizer.' She grabbed one card from her previous journal stack and closed the compartment once again. Sliding the datacard into its receiver slot in her datapad Kayylla left to join the others in the lounge.   
  
Stepping into the lounge her senses where blasted with a mixture of smells. Looking at the table she knew where they had come from. Jace and Davro sat across from each other with a plate of what looked like food in front of them. Neither one was talking. Both looked up when she entered and gave her a smile of recognition.   
  
"I can see you were able to operate the food prep. I hope you like it." She said and went to fix herself a plate of Gnooroop steak and greens. She then headed over to the table to eat.   
  
Both men stood once she neared the booth. She slid in on Davro's side and stopped where the bench curved around then straighten out to the other side. From where she sat she was able to get a closer look at what they had fixed. Davro's was a mess of colors but the strong spicy smell coming from it told her it was a Corellian dish. Jaces looked sort of green. Taking a closer look she saw it was noodles covered in a type of green sauce with veggies and meat added to it.   
  
Kayylla took out her datapad and started reading through the journal entries of her previous life as she played with her fork.  
  
Davro caught a glimpse of Kayylla's datapad read-out, but quickly looked away, berating himself for trying to snoop on others. He took another bite of food, washed it down with a sip of fozbeer.   
  
"I've been thinking of why Boba Fett would've jumped us at KDY.", he started. "I've come to three conclusions. First; he was tracking the previous owner of this vessel, and they dumped it to evade pursuit. Second; he was angry at nearly running into us, but it doesn't make sense for him to open fire on us just for that. Third; the Empire has offered a bounty on a cloak-shape freighter that blasted out of Coruscant, so he was waiting for one to show up at KDY and make a change of ships. From what I've heard about him, he's not above bribing or physically threatening others to get info on his next potential paycheck. And, I don't think he would care that much about doing in innocent traders if he could possibly find one of the Empire's most wanted."   
  
He took his empty plate back, cleaned it up, then sat back down to finish the rest of his drink. Draining his cup, he went back to check on Fate.   
  
"Power unit looks good, Fate...." he said, as he double-checked the connections and made sure the unit was securely installed. He glanced back toward the dining area, sighed, and turned back to the droid. "You look like you use some cleaning up yourself. Weren't too concerned about the droids at KDY, were they?" Fate whined in the affirmative as Davro led him back to an area where he could work easier. Within minutes, Fate's cylindrical body was gleaming like new. Davro grabbed his tech-scanner and hooked up Fate for a diagnostic check. "Reminds me of KC, looking at your read-outs. He's the last astromech droid I had. He's waiting for me at home, I wish he was here."   
  
Fate chirped quizzically at him as his checking slowed and stopped, giving him a start.   
  
"Sorry about that. You seems to be in good shape. A little recharging and you should be fine." After hooking-up Fate to the ships power grid, he went to his bunk to try and catch a nap.   
  
"He's not much for conversation is he." Kayylla said once Davro left.   
  
"He does have a point though, Boba Fett wouldn't come after someone for almost running into him, so I think we can cross that one off the list. I can slice into the data base on the ship and see who the last owner was. Hopefully the KDY was sloppy and didn't do a complete wipe of the ships memory. Maybe Fate can help me with that." Jace said clearing both of their dishes from the table.   
  
"You could be right." Kayylla said closing down her data pad. "But from what I know of the Empire and how they are always jumping to the wrong conclusions when it comes to 'aliens'. I think they believe you, one of their loyal sons, has been kidnapped by a strange species of alien and will only be returned if they pay a ransom. They would never believe one of their own would ever leave their service." She said letting   
sarcasm enter her voice.   
  
Jace didn't comment, he finished cleaning the dishes then turned. "I'll still check the ships records and see if they will give us any information." Not waiting for her response he left for the cockpit.   
  
Kayylla sat there in the lounge alone. She thought about reading her journals again but decided against it. She slid out of the booth and headed for the cockpit. Her pace slowed when she passed the crew quarters, she thought about checking on Davro but then decided against it. Ever since she has known the man he was always being woken up from his sleep, he deserved some time alone.   
  
When she reached the cockpit she saw Jace hard at work going through file after file of data with Fate at his side beeping with encouragement.   
  
"Any luck?" She queried as she sat in the copilots chair.   
  
"I'm getting a few leads but then when I get to the files, they've all been erased. I did find out that a merchant owned this ship before, that might explain the hidden compartments. The previous owners name though has been erased and I'm unable to find it." Jace responded.   
  
"Well I guess that's a start. When we reach Ord Mantell I want to download some files from the holonet, maybe those will help us in some way. We should exit from hyperspace in less than two hours. Fate I want you to wake Davro before we jump back in, I want him manning the gun turrets in case we have a surprise waiting." Kayylla said placing her booted feet on the console infront of her. Fate beeped in acknowledgment.  
  
  
The time passed all too quickly for Davro, one moment dreaming, the next being awakened by excited droid whistling.   
  
"Okay, KC, I'm up.....oh, sorry, Fate." He shook off his grogginess as Fate began replaying a holo-message of Kayylla speaking to the droid   
  
".....I want him manning the guns in case of trouble...", the miniature Kayylla stated, bringing a smile to Davro's face.   
  
"Alright, point taken. Fate, head back to the sublight drives. Plug-in and monitor their status. You see a problem, try to compensate and adjust. The power flow might be troublesome to keep leveled across them."   
  
Fate rolled off to the engines while Davro once again climbed into the dorsal gun turret and prepped for sublight.   
  
"Davro here, I'm in position. Ready for sublight speed. Fate is monitoring the engines, in case something goes haywire."   
  
Kayylla shutdown the hyperdrive and kicked in the sublight engines, the sight of Ord Mantell appearing in the cockpit windows ahead of them. The whine of the properly tuned high-performance engines became distinct in the background. She could tell simply by how the 'Atropos' was handling that she now had many times the thrust available now than when they had left KDY.   
  
Davro scanned their surroundings for any vessels, his targeting scopes showing the area clear. "My scopes are negative, you have anything on the long-range sensors, Jace?"   
  
"I've got a Lambda-class shuttle in-bound to Ord Mantell and a large object, probably a container transport, out-bound. Other than that, we're clear.", Jace replied.   
  
"Roger. I'll standby up here. Sounds like the engines are ready for action, go ahead and open 'em up, Kayylla."   
  
Advancing the throttle, the 'Atropos' shuddered faintly, smoothed out, and shot forward as quickly as any fighter any of them had ever seen. Davro sat in the gun turret, facing forward, reveling in the sheer speed that this vessel was attaining. "I don't know who engineered the drive arrangement on this thing, but this is easily faster the 'Millennium Falcon's' sublight speed! Wahooo!", he excitedly shouted.   
  
They made planet fall in no time, thanks to Davro's handy work. The spaceport gave her a docking number and directions on how to get there, they never even asked for her ID. By the time Davro had returned to the cockpit Kayylla had the ship docked and almost shut down. Moments later they were all   
heading down the ramp into the empty docking bay. Both men stood guard while Kayylla locked down the 'Atropos,' she didn't want anyone touching her ship without her knowing it.   
  
Once the ship was locked they all headed towards the crowded streets beyond. They stayed close so they wouldn't loose one another on the heavily trafficked pedestrian walkways. Davro lead the way, he said he knew someone on planet who could give them a deal on what they needed and they might have a job for them as well. Jace followed behind him, with much protesting and Kayylla bringing up the rear.   
  
They had crossed a crowded street near a dark alley when Kayylla was hauled off her feet and being dragged into the alley. She was too stunned to call out. When she regained her voice she came face to face with the last person she ever thought she would see again.   
  
  
  



	5. Chapter V

"Riley! What are you doing here?" Kayylla asked her assailant.   
  
"Watching over you." The other Lasthunian said, blue eyes blazing.   
  
"Why?"   
  
"Your face is being broadcasted all over the holonet, that's why. What if someone recognized you?" Riley said putting her hands on her hips. "The Council sent me to keep you safe or bring you back, which ever I choose."   
  
"Why is my face being broadcasted on the holonet? I haven't done anything...oh wait." Kayylla said recognition showing on her face.   
  
"Now what have you done?" Riley said with exasperation.   
  
"I gypped the Empire on my run from Alderaan."   
  
"Oh I wish that were so. The broadcast said you've kidnapped an Imperial officer and that you are holding him for ransom. They've called out bounty hunters on you as well." She explained brushing a strand of white hair out of her face.   
  
"I can't leave with you. I have two others with me and I can't leave them here. Besides I didn't kidnap him, he cam with me by his own will."   
  
"Well then where are they?"   
  
"They were in front of me when you dragged me in here. So they are probably still walking."   
  
"Let's go find them." Riley commanded taking the lead out of the alley.  
  
Davro spotted the parts shop up ahead, breaking into smile, seeing that his old friend's sense of style hadn't changed. The facade in front of the building was built to look as though a racing pod had crashed into the structure, it's engines framing either side of the door.   
  
"This is it. You're gonna love the owner, Kayylla......Kayylla? Jace, she's gone!"   
  
Jace began to draw his blaster, but Davro forced his hand to drop the weapon back in it's holster.   
  
"Don't draw your gun, best way to attract attention is draw a weapon on crowded streets. Let's backtrack, see if we can find her, you cover the right, I'll cover left."   
  
Jace nodded in agreement as they began to retrace their route, systematically searching to the sides for any possible alleys or paths Kayylla might have gone down. Within a short time, they spotted her coming their way with her new acquaintance.   
  
Davro raced to her. "Thank goodness, you're okay. I was about to start breaking down doors to.......", he started, then noticed her companion. "Just someone from back home who happened to be in this neck of the galaxy?", he asked, sarcasm heavy in his tone. "I'm sorry about that, where are my manners.......Captain Davro Stfal, at your service.", he stated to the newcomer, offering his hand with an apologetic look in his eye. "Or I was a captain until we had to bid some rather hasty retreats lately...", he added. "Kayylla has been good enough to put up with me hanging around and lending a hand. Just hoping my services will do her proud...", he continued, tossing in a wink at Kayylla's friend. He turned fully to Kayylla. "I've spotted the shop up ahead. A friend of mine from the old days runs the place. You'll love it...". Davro rattled on as they continued back to the shop, Jace seeming completely bored, Kayylla's friend seeming completely confused.   
  
Riley kept Kayylla back a few paces from the others. "I can't believe you actually hooked up with these two. You're going to have to think up a way to get rid of them, they are excess baggage for us."   
  
"Since when did you decide who stays and who goes on 'my' ship? Both of these men have helped me, it's the least I can do for them." She hissed back keeping her voice low so Jace and Davro were unable to hear her.   
  
"Where are we headed anyway?" Riley asked going up on her toes to try and see over Kayylla's tall companions. "I don't like not knowing where I'm headed."   
  
"If you must know, we are headed to a parts shop owned by one of Davro's friends. I know being couped up back home makes you a little paranoid, so why don't we trust my judgment for once alright." Kayylla said trying very hard not to let the anger she felt inside leak through to her voice.   
  
"So this is your friends shop? Remind me to ask him who does his decorating." The blue eyed alien said with heavy sarcasm once they reached the shop. Davro said nothing as he allowed the two women to enter first.   
  
"I'll explain later." Kayylla said giving him an apologetic smile as she entered the shop.   
  
Once her eyes adjusted to the interior lighting Kayylla was amazed at the many rows of shelves and bins the place held. On the far left wall hung every tool you could imagine ever needing for any repair job. The shelves were stacked with power cores, couplings and much more. She wanted to wonder through out the shop but thought better of it.   
  
Davro walked around the on lookers to the front counter calling for his friend.   
  
"Hey, Mezz!", Davro shouted. "What's a guy have to do for some service around here?!"   
  
A rotund little human came waddling from in the storeroom, his arms carrying an impossibly stacked number of boxes to the front counter, unable to see where he was going and apparently steering from pure memory.   
  
"Be right with you, sir....." he puffed as he slid the packages onto the counter to another customer, took his money, and turned to face his new customer. "Great thundering.......Davro? Is that you?! You old son-of-a.....How the hell are ya'?! It's been years!" The fellow stepped around the counter, gripping Davro in a hug that lifted his feet off the dusty floor of the shop.   
  
"Nice to see you too, Mezz...." Davro wheezed, trying to catch his breath after his friend's embrace. With his second wind, Davro made quick introductions between Mezz and his traveling companions, hesitating only with Riley, saying she was a friend of Kayylla's. Mezz shook hands vigorously with them all, insisting "Any friend of Davro's is a friend of mine."   
  
"What brings you back here, Davro? The "Stormrider" needing more upgrades already? Looking for antique fighter parts again?"   
  
"Nothing like that, Mezz." He motioned to Kayylla. "This lovely lady requires some for a YT-2800 freighter that I'm giving her hand with. Some of the special stock you would be nice..."   
  
Mezz nodded knowingly, hurried in serving the other customers and getting them out, then closed and locked the door. "Okay, shipmate, we're secure, and I'm ready to what I can to repay ya'." He threw Davro a quick salute and led them all back into the storeroom, then down a set of stairs and through a locked pressure door. On the other side was an underground warehouse, the entry of which was made up to look like the commons' area of a Corellian Corvette, complete with the ship's emblem on one wall, an autochef in the corner, and the dining tables for the crew. Non-standard additions had been made, like a small bar along the far wall, and some kegs of very old fozbeer stacked next to the autochef. "Ya have time to relive a few war stories before you have to go? I got a keg of your favorite in cold storage....Your friends are more than welcome, too. You all look like you could use a rest.", he said with a nostalgic gleam in his eye.   
  
"Sure, I guess we can take a load off our feet for a while, but could you have your people get the stuff we need and deliver it to our ship?"   
  
"Hey, no problem....if you've got a list I can get them right on it, and we can go over some old times."   
  
Davro handed him a data-pad with their needs, Mezz browsed over it. "I got all this stuff in stock upstairs, you anything else? Weapons, ordinance, armor, vehicles...?"   
  
"Nah, that's it. I think we're square on what you owe me."   
  
Kayylla took out her data-pad to arrange payment, only to have Mezz motioning for her to put it away. "This is on me. I owe more than just credits to the great Davro Stfal. This man saved me, and the whole ship during the blockade run we made at Barkhesh some ten years ago."   
  
Davro rolled his eyes, knowing there was no way to avoid having to tell the tale again, and no way of stopping Mezz from embellishing it. "Yeah, yeah.....I saved the ship from being blown to bits....."   
  
"Oh, quit being modest." said Mezz. "He's one of the finest people ever to wear The Kalidor Crescent, and his is better than ours are. The whole crew of the 'Corellia's Gamble'", he motioned to the ship's emblem on the wall, "received the Kalidor Crescent, but the captain, Capt. James Culley, the "old man" as we call him, praised Davro's efforts so highly and touted his bravery under fire so much, that the Rebels gave him the Crescent with FULL HONORS; silver talons, bronze cluster, emerald eyes, golden wings, the works!" Mezz was looking on Davro with undisguised admiration, oblivious to the looks from Jace and Riley. Riley cleared her throat, breaking the sudden silence.   
  
"You'll excuse me if I don't quite swallow the story..." Riley started. "I mean, it's kinda hard to believe....."   
  
The color drained from Mezz's face, his eye grew wide as he glanced at Davro and back to Riley. Shaking visibly he stood and went to a chest near the kegs, rummaged for a moment and produced a holo-cube that he plugged into the projector built into the table. The image flickered to life, showing a huge hangar facility that had been cleared and decorated for a ceremony. The scene zoomed in to show a vessel's crew being given awards for service and bravery, a younger man who was clearly Davro stepping up and having The Kalidor Crescent hung around his neck by Mon Mothma herself, then a gentleman in a Rebel Captain's uniform stepping forward and motioning between the award and Davro, and not backing down. Davro was asked several questions which he nodded answers to. An aide brought a case of medallions, Mon Mothma sorted through it, and brought forth The Kalidor Crescent fully decorated with all of it's augmentations. The image faded, Riley still seeming unimpressed.   
  
"That could have been made up...."   
  
Mezz returned to his chest, brought out another box, and opened it upon the table. Inside was a Kalidor Crescent medallion, with a small plaque inside which read: "To Mezz Darklighter, with the gratitude of the Rebel Alliance for his bravery and service aboard the 'Corellia's Gamble'."   
  
"Satisfied seeing mine, ma'am?", Mezz asked indignantly.   
  
"Mezz, it's okay....c'mon, have a drink...." Davro led him to the bar, poured him a tankard of fozbeer, and stepped back to Riley.   
  
"All due respect, Ms. Riley, it isn't proper to go upsetting the host of a place that offers you refuge and hospitality. Give me few moments, and we can go." He stormed away to the bar and joined his friend for a drink, casting the occasional glare at Riley. Presently, Davro embraced his friend again, then returned to Kayylla. "Mezz says his workers have delivered the stuff and are guarding the ship. He said something about seeing your picture on the holo-net, so he's sworn to me that he doesn't know a thing about us being here. We should get going, I want to change those laser tips before we take-off."   
  
He shook hands once more with Mezz before leading them up and out of the shop. He glanced back past Riley for a last look at the shop. "Good-bye, shipmate...", he trailed as he led the way back.   
  
  
Davro had decided not to take the same route back to the ship. They found themselves being lead down many different alley ways and doubling back a few times to try and loose any pursuers.   
  
"We are still being followed." Riley commented when Kayylla mentioned they were almost to the ships docking bay.   
  
Kayylla would always be amazed at Riley's tracking skills. From what she had read from her previous journals they had been partnered many times and her skills had saved them on more than one occasion.   
  
"Why do you say that?" Jace asked over his shoulder.   
  
"Because I'm never wrong." She responded matter of factly.   
  
Jace and Davro only threw her questioning looks as they entered the docking bay.   
  
"Trust her on this one, she knows what she's tailing about. Riley has saved my life countless times with this talent of hers." Kayylla said as she sealed the door behind them.   
  
Jace was about to ask how that was possible but thought better of it. Once they reached the 'Atropos' Kayylla saw Mezz's guards and the repulsar sleds piled with the parts Davro had requested.   
  
"I suggest we get to work as quickly as possible. After all I do have a price on my head and I would really like to leave the Bounty Hunter capitol of the galaxy in one piece." Kayylla advised as she looked over the parts on the sleds.   
  
"Lets get he laser tips changed first. If it comes to a shoot out, you'll be glad they've been replaced. Once those are finished we can go from there. Jace, Riley you take the lower quad lasers while Kayylla and I take the upper quads. I'm sure you two can handle it." Davro said separating what parts each group would need. He didn't pay attention to the glares he was receiving from Riley and Jace as they took their parts and headed to the belly of the ship.   
  
"Wonder if they'll kill each other before the job is finished?" Kayylla asked as Davro gave her a boost to the top of the freighter.   
  
Without pausing or turning from his work, Davro continued speaking to Kayylla. "So, is Riley always so cordial with strange hosts, or was she just doing that for my benefit?", he asked, sarcasm thick in his tone. "If that's normal, I'm surprised she hasn't got herself blasted by now...."   
  
He finished attaching the last of the new tips on the dorsal turret and was checking the angle of the flash-back suppressers as he waited for some explanation for Kayylla.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry for the way she acted back there, she's used to getting her own way I guess. Her mouth has really gotten us into trouble on more than one occasion and it takes more than a few near misses to get through that thick skull of hers." She said crossing her arms across her chest. "I'll have a talk with her about it as well. Hopefully I can talk her into going back home, I don't want another innocent person dragged into this mess. Besides the council would never forgive me if she were killed. If you thought a Bounty Hunter was mean wait until you see an angry mob of Lasthunians after you." Kayylla said quickly slapping her hand to her mouth, shock registering on her face. She let her hand drop slowly and cleared her throat. "Forget what I just said." With that she walked quickly to the edge of the ship and jumped off, leaving Davro there with a very puzzled look on his face.   
  
Landing on the balls of her feet Kayylla dashed up the ramp and into the lounge. Fate beeped happily as she entered but she paid little attention to the droid as she paced the lounge. Hearing booted feet on the ramp Kayylla whirled around to see who it was. Riley walked, or rather glided into the lounge. The extra height she had over Kayylla made her movements more graceful than what she could ever hope to accomplish.   
  
"There is no record of Lasthunia on any star chart right?" Kayylla asked resuming her pacing and glancing occasionally at her ex-copilot of many life times.   
  
"Why? You didn't tell him did you? You know what this means?!" Riley asked angrily and stepping closer to her. "He's going to want to know more about us. There's no way you can come back now."   
  
"He won't ask, I know he won't. Besides if we aren't listed, there's no way he can try and locate our planet on a star chart." She responded trying to control her voice.   
  
"If he does ask, I'll burn him down without a moments hesitation. It's our peoples lives over his." Riley said with an edge to her voice and cocking her head to listen for possible footsteps up the ramp. "So why did you tell him?" She continued.   
  
"It slipped out when I was defending your rudeness towards his friend. You are going to have to hold that tongue of yours from now on or else someone is going to burn you down if you are not careful." Kayylla retorted then stormed off towards the cockpit.   
  
"No one asked you to defend me you know." She called after her.   
  
From behind her, Riley heard the sound of light clapping. She spun quickly, seeing Davro leaning against the bulkhead, his lopsided grin spread across his face.   
  
"Congratulations. I had no idea that you make your friends as angry as you make strangers. Now, THAT is a rare skill..."   
  
"What do you want, Corellian?", Riley snapped, wondering how long he had been standing there.   
  
"I want a word with you, let's go talk in my office.", he said, gesturing toward the engine section and heading that way. He opened the pressure door to the engines, allowed her to step through, followed her, then closed and locked the door behind him. He then unbuckled his gun-belt, dropping it in his toolkit, then closing and locking it. "There, now you don't have reason to 'burn me down' because you're armed, and I'm not.....", he started. "Kayylla let your race's name slip by accident. Let me sum it up for you in three words: I DON'T CARE! It doesn't matter to me who or what you are. If it would have been any other person docked at Coruscant in the same situation, I would have helped. Okay, not if it was an Imperial, but nearly anyone else. I don't have a problem with you, YET. I don't know you from the next nurf-herder, but you seem to have a problem with me. Let's clear the air. WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?! I'm not asking you to love who I am, hell, I'm not even asking you to like me. A little courtesy for me and my friends is all I'm asking. Jace is a former Imperial Major, I'm okay with him, and I really dislike Imperials. Now, you're not leaving from down here until we have an agreement to at least be civil with each other. I made a sort of peace with Jace, and I can make one with someone who is beautiful but acts like a Gamorean. Question is can you do it, or is a Corellian better than your people?" Again, Davro's lopsided smile returned as he waited for Riley's response, whether it was words or blows.   
  
Riley stood there glaring at the Corellian wondering how long she could make him wait for her explanation, while he stood there with that stupid smirk on his face as if he could wait as long as she could. She quickly came to the conclusion that it was pointless to keep quiet any longer, after all Kayylla would start looking for them soon. The longer they delayed the faster it would be for their pursuer to find them and bring in reinforcements.   
  
"Alright." She said finally giving in. "The last time a member of my race told another being about us, our world was nearly destroyed. Half our population was killed in the battles that followed the assault. We all live in fear of that happening again, so we made an oath that we would never tell another being about us. That also includes the telling of our species name. If we break that oath we will be hunted down and brought back to be executed along with anyone else we told, or worse we would be banished never to return to our planet again. A death of one of us is felt by all, for our population is small. I can only hope you can see why we are jumpy about what we tell others about ourselves." She said keeping her arms crossed over her chest and keeping her voice low as she continued. "Kayylla never told me you saved her life. We could never repay you for saving the life of a sister. I also don't have a problem with YOU, if Kayylla has trusted you this far then I guess I can trust you as well. Remember though, Kayylla and I have been friends longer than you can possibly imagine and I will not allow any harm to come to her."   
  
"Do you think I would let anything happen to her as well? She's my friend too you know." He interjected.   
  
"I can see that now and I will try and be civil to you and any of your other friends we might encounter on this journey. I only ask that you do not bring up anything about us to anyone. Our people have suffered enough lose in anyone's life time." She said looking at him with concern on her face. "I have never thought of us as better than any being either. In fact I see my race as inferior to all. You see every race can do something we can not. I am not allowed to tell you anymore than what I have already said. Anymore questions you wish to ask me?" She retorted.   
  
Davro breathed a sigh of relief. His features became grim, the smile rushing away.   
  
"What you have told me will not pass to anyone else, even if it means my own death.", he swore, wearing the most serious face that Riley had ever seen on another race. He fished out his gun-belt, unlocked the pressure door, and was stepping out when he stopped, listening intently. "You hear that? Listen.....". Faintly, over the ambient engine room noise, the sound of blaster fire could barely be discerned. "Did Jace   
come in with you?!"   
  
"Without waiting for her to answer, Davro drew his pistol and bolted to the entry ramp and out of the ship. He caught glimpses of Mezz's men returning fire on an unknown attacker, but quickly losing their resolve to stand their ground. Three of them already lay motionless on the ground, and fourth fell as Davro watched. He spotted Jace pinned-down behind a large cargo crate that they had emptied earlier, blaster rounds blanketing the area from an archway opposite in front of the ship.   
  
"Jace! Stay there, but be ready to move!" Jace waved his acknowledgment to Davro, who turned and ran into the ship, then slid into the ventral gun-well. "Kayylla, Riley! Get the engines started, I'm laying down cover fire for Jace to get aboard...", he shouted into his headset as he swung the new guns forward. After aiming for a moment, opened fire on the archway, easily blowing apart the stonework and collapsing the   
tunnel on the other side. He waited as Jace scrambled on board, and the rest of their guards exited through another arch, then blew the other arch to bits, sealing the last entrance.   
  
"I'm in, let's get out of here!", Jace shouted, running past the gun-well and up to the cockpit.   
  
"Fate, watch those engines.", Davro ordered into his headset, receiving Fate's whistle in return.   
  
The 'Atropos's' squealed with the sudden increase in throttle as they easily lifted the ship into the skies and rocketed them toward the darkness of space. Still in the ventral turret, Davro scanned for signs of pursuit. All too easily, he found four targets heading their way.   
  
"I don't mean to complain, but there are four marks on our tail, somebody want to give me hand back here? I can cover our belly, but top-side is wide open...."   
  
"I'll take the other gun." Riley said as she left the cockpit and ran to the turrets, she nearly jumped up the ladder to reach the dorsal turret. She quickly strapped herself in, turned on her targeting computer and put her headset on. From her vantage point at the top of the ship she was able to get a good look at their pursuers.   
  
"What kind of ships are those?" She asked into her headset.   
  
"Their uglies." Jace responded. "They're starfighters that have been cobbled together from components of other fighters. Watch yourselves back there, they can be unpredictable in everything." Jace cautioned.   
  
Kayylla flew the craft to give Davro and Riley every opportunity they needed to keep the crafts in their sights. Even with the ships modified engines the uglies were still gaining on them. In moments the uglies were upon the 'Atropos' and their laser canons targeted the ships drive units. Luckily the shields had enough power to deflect the laser shots.   
  
Davro sighted in on one of the uglies, combinations of an X-Wing body and the solar wing arrays of a TIE fighter. His targeting brackets flashed green for an instant when he fired. The ugly exploded on impact with the laser.   
  
Riley didn't have time to congratulate him on his kill. Her own targeting computer beeped with a lock of her own, she fired and another pursuer was destroyed.   
  
The two remaining uglies were more cautious then their late partners. They positioned themselves behind the sublight drives and out of the range of both turret guns. Kayylla thought about maneuvers to pull when the uglies opened fire on her engines once again.   
  
"I have an idea." Jace said when he saw Kayylla checking her aft viewscreens. "Let me take the controls." Kayylla flipped a few switches and Jace was now in control. He put the ship into a tight downward spiral then banked quickly to port. The maneuver brought both uglies into the targeting brackets of the guns. Both ships blew simultaneously when Riley and Davro's lasers punctured their cockpits. Both gunners stayed in the turrets until the stars outside the canopy became starlines and they were safe in hyperspace.   
  
Riley waited for Davro as he came up from the ventral turret. They walked briskly to the cockpit. "Where are we headed now?" Riley questioned as she took the passenger seat behind Jace.   
  
"I've plotted a course that will take us ten light-years away from Ord Mantell. From there we can reorient ourselves and go someplace else. Any suggestions on where we will be heading next?" Kayylla asked as she turned the pilots chair around to look at everyone. "I'm not choosing again. Every place I've chosen we've been shot at. So now it is someone else's turn to decide."   
  
There was silence in the cockpit for a few moments, no one suggesting any potential destination. Then Davro spoke up.   
  
"Dantooine. It's remote, there is no tactical advantage to going there, and I've got connections and business associates there who could help us out. The downside; it's a long trip, but we definitely have enough fuel and supplies to make it. Comments?"   
  
Not surprisingly, Jace was the first to speak up.   
  
"You must be crazy....", he started. "In this situation, no Imperial officer would ever entertain the thought of heading to Dantooine. However, I personally think that it's a brilliant idea."   
  
Davro did a double-take and shook his head, shocked at the compliment. The surprise was apparent on Kayylla's and Riley's faces as well, staring at Jace. Jace continued, "The only way to get anymore remote would be someplace with no civilization or space port facilities. As none of those are nearby, and we can't disappear back to The Rock for the time being, we may as well head there. There will be fuel available to continue from there, we can restock any consumables we might need, and Davro can contact his friend about the N-1 being done."   
  
"That's right, I almost forgot it with all the action!", he stated with excitement. His emotion darkened quickly. "I guess you guys will be rid of me then.....at least I helped. Felt like the old days for while there....". He rose and walked back out turning toward the engine section and walking out of sight.   
  
The trip enroute to the next jump point was quiet. The engines ran perfectly, the sensors were supremely accurate, and extra power was routed to the shields from the new backup power unit. Davro had finished perfecting a new power linkage system on the sublight drives, eliminating the need for constant adjustment and watching. Everyone noticed that he seemed even more gloomy after the course change for Dantooine. What time that wasn't spent tinkering with the ship or his gear was spent laying in his bunk or snoozing in a gun-well chair.   
  
One evening, after three weeks in hyperspace and nearing their destination, Kayylla walked in on him as he was going though his pack at his bunk. He was intently studying an item in a small black case, the trace of a tear in the corner of his eye.   
  
"Hi...", she said quietly, startling him just the same. He snapped the case shut quickly and trying to drop it into his pack. It hung on the opening, then slid quietly to the deck next to his pack.   
  
"Hi...", he replied hoarsely, hastily wiping at his eye. "Just got up from a nap, going to check the, uh, debris extractors, yeah. I thought they might be getting dirty....I'll be back out in a while to eat." He hurriedly walked off to the engine room, not noticing the dropped case.   
  
Kayylla slowly reached for the case, glancing to see Davro was returning. She opened the case to take a tiny peek inside. Within was a medal, Davro's Kalidor Crescent, kept in blindingly polished shape. She had never seen a decoration heaped with so many honors from the Alliance in all her life.   
  
"This must remind him of so many friends and comrades lost in battle and in service to his old Captain. No wonder he is so depressed, he probably thinks he's losing another crew by disbanding."   
  
  
  
  



	6. Chapter VI

Kayylla snapped the case shut when she heard foot steps out in the corridor. Looking up she saw Riley, leaning against the door jam, staring at her with a questioning look on her face.   
  
"What have you got there?" She asked nodding to the closed case.   
  
"Oh, it's a nothing. Davro dropped it, I was about to return it to him." Kayylla answered moving to get around Riley, who moved to block her way.   
  
"Why don't you ask him to stay?"   
  
"What?" she responded, the confusion registering on her face.   
  
"Oh come on. We can all see that you want him to stay, you only need the encouragement to tell him." Riley said.   
  
"I don't know what your talking about." She answered innocently.   
  
Riley didn't explain until she had the door shut and locked behind her. "Sit and listen." She said in a no-nonsense tone. "I've seen the way you look at him, the way you ask for his help on a modification that you already know how to fix and how you take his advise about everything over everyone else's. Admit it you like him and you want him to stay."   
  
"I do not do those things. Besides it is his choice if he wants to stay or leave."   
  
"But he's too much of a gentleman to ask to stay aboard with you. It's obvious that he cares for you as well. Why else would he have stuck it out with you for this long?" Riley asked placing her hands on her slender hips.   
  
"Now you're stretching it."   
  
"Am I? Jace sees it as well. Why else would he be so enthusiastic about him leaving?"   
  
"That's obsured and you know it." Kayylla answered trying to get around her friend. "Would you move so I can give this back to him. You know I can hurt you."   
  
"Oh yes." Riley said with a laugh, "now you're trying to threaten me with your combat training. I know you'll win only because you're the best we've got. I have a deal though." She purposed with a twisted smile. "If you do tell Davro to stay I'll fight you. If you don't, you won't get any practice in while I'm with you. It's up to you to decide what it's going to be: Fight me or loose someone you care about."   
  
Kayylla only stood there mulling over what Riley had said. Was she right about her feelings for Davro? Could she actually ask him to stay? He had friends and employees to take care of though. The real question that was bothering her was simple, what if she did tell him how she felt and he turned her down?   
Could she live with herself then?   
  
"What is it going to be?" Riley asked again.   
  
"I'll let you know when I've decided. Now if you don't mind I really need to give this back to him." She said moving Riley aside as she unlocked the door and left, still holding the medallion case.   
  
She wasn't paying much attention to where she was going when she ran into something that knocked her to the deck. "Sorry." She apologized not looking up. When she did finally look up her face turned a light pink once she saw who it was she ran into. It was Davro, he was just coming out of the engine room.   
  
"Here let me help you." He said offering her his hand when he noticed the black case still clutched in her hand.   
  
"Here." She said quickly after she was on her feet and she thrust the case into his hand. "You dropped this back there. I didn't want you to forget it."   
  
Taking the case from her he simply said thanks before he turned back to the engine compartment.   
  
"Wait!" She said before he entered the compartment once again. "Davro, I need to tell you something."   
  
He turned and looked at her with those hazel eyes that she loved to see change color.   
  
"I know it's your life and you can do whatever you want with it." She said taking a deep breath and continued on. "I want you to know that you don't have to leave. I mean, I WANT you to stay with us. I would hate to see a great team split up. What do you say?" She asked, hope showing on her face. "Will you stay?"   
  
Davro gazed at her a moment, slipped the case into a pocket, then narrowed his eyes slightly. He raised his right hand toward her, closed his eyes, and began breathing deep, relaxing breaths. Kayylla could have swore that she felt his touch upon her shoulder even though they were still a foot apart.   
  
"There is more to this than just breaking up a team....", he said, eyes still closed. "I sense something deeper, but you are unsure of yourself, you're afraid of revealing more about your people, yet drawn to an offworlder. There is a rivalry within you for your feelings toward two men." He opened his eyes and smiled his damnable roguish grin. "It wouldn't be honorable for me to try and influence you. I'm way too fond of you to even try. You found my case on the floor next to my pack. I should have been more careful putting it away. I have been keeping too many things from you, and from myself. My old Captain was right; things do catch up with you, even when you run from them. You have many questions on your mind. Ask them, I will not keep anything from you.", he told her frankly, leaning back against a bulkhead. His eyes fixed on hers, he awaited her queries.   
  
Kayylla stood there confusion and shock registering on her face. What was it that had touched her? Had Davro done it or was it something else entirely?   
  
"What was that and what are you talking about?" She asked, her voice sounding dry from the shock at what she had felt.   
  
"Are those the only questions you have for me?" He asked still leaning against the bulkhead.   
  
"Well no." She responded.   
  
"I think it would be easier if you asked all of your questions at once, then I can explain myself." He said still holding that smile of his.   
  
A thoughtful look creased her brow as she thought of questions to ask him. "Alright, tell me why you left your home, how you got caught up with the Rebellion when it first started and if you could also tell me more about who you are. Riley told me she told you about us. I'm sorry that I can't tell you all that you want to know but I can tell more about me. Or at least what I can remember." She finished, looking at him waiting for his response.   
  
Davro's smile changed from roguish to heartfelt.   
  
"Why I left home....Corellia is quiet and peaceful. A young man eager for excitement is doomed in a place like that, so I sought employment on the first ship I could find that was hiring men on. The "Corellia's Gamble was the first ship. The Captain, same that you saw in Mezz's hologram back on Ord Mantell, took me on because he said he liked me. I later learned there was another reason. The 'Old Man', as the crew called him, was a Jedi in hiding. He personally interviewed anyone applying to crew positions both to get to know them, and to find any that The Force was with. He later revealed to me that he believed I had the potential to become a Jedi Knight, that I was honest, brave, good-hearted, and the Force was strong in me. He began training me the basics, but the Rebellion began mounting offensives against the Empire. He asked the crew for volunteers to fight for the Rebellion with him. No one left him. We all would win, or go down fighting for the cause of good. He seemed so alive then, like he envisioned the Jedi were back in power. We struck at every chance we had to hurt Imperial shipping and supply convoys, while at the same time delivering support materials to Rebel bases and outposts to relieve their troops."   
  
He paused a moment to think.   
  
"We then got word that Barkhesh was under a blockade by Imperial frigates. The rebel outpost there was out of supplies and were starving. Imperial ground forces couldn't locate the entry to the outpost, but it was only a matter of time before they died. Mon Mothma asked us to help. The 'Old Man' came up with a plan; the "Corellia's Gamble" would run the blockade, feign severe damage to draw the frigates away, and cause an opening for several medivac shuttles to hyperspace in and rescue the outpost troops. We started our run, cut through the lines of the slower frigates, then ran parallel with them trading laser fire. Rebel fighter support arrived to hold off the frigates' fighters and harass the frigates even more, but they still held their ground. Our shield were weakening and we had minor damage, but the captain pressed on. He ordered me down to engineering to keep those shields up, turned the ship, and charged the frigates again. Using our corvette's superior speed and agility, he flew us between the frigates, letting them tear at each other with their missed shots. His tactics worked, we killed four frigates in succession before they began to try and chase us off, fearing more losses. The gap they left was huge, and the shuttles had no trouble finishing the mission. Our fighter escort retreated, then we learned that our hyperdrive had been hit. I was working on it when we took another hit and we lost our atmospheric pressure. All of us were wearing spacesuits, but air escaping pulled many into space. I managed to snatch hold of a ladder and wildly grabbed at Mezz's hand as he was sucked by me, yelling for help in his helmet's commlink. I held onto him until the air was gone, then lowered him to the deck. We went back to fixing the hyperdrive, finishing just before the frigates had reached the range for their tractor beams. We sealed the hole in the hull and said a prayer for our lost shipmates."   
  
He snaps out of his remembrance to see Kayylla listening intently. Smiling briefly, he continues.   
  
"What you felt was one of the first things I was taught; how to tell what another is thinking. I don't have much chance to use it, I feared I was out of practice. My 'master', the captain, also taught me use of the light saber. I knew that my medal had fallen on the floor because you didn't dig into my pack, and I knew that because I keep the light saber that the captain gave me in the bottom. It was his, but he passed it on when he retired. After that, the crew went it's separate ways, but vowing to fight the Empire when they could." He glanced at his watch. "Heh, we're a little late for dinner. C'mon, Riley and Jace will be talking by the time we get there..." he said, helping her to her feet and tossing a wink at her.   
  
  
  
Weeks earlier General Derricote received a holo signal from Coruscant. He wiped the soil from his hands on a rag at his belt. "What is it?" He called after activating the miniature projection pod near the work bench in his Alderaanian Botany lab. "Can't you see I'm busy?"   
  
"Sorry General." The Imperial captain in the holo said apologetically. "You gave orders to notify you of any information we receive on a Cloakshaped Fighter." The captain continued.   
  
"You've found them already? Very well, bring them to Blackmoon at once." The General interrupted.   
  
"No sir. I am informing you that they have been sighted."   
  
"Where?"   
  
"Five standard days ago, Star Destroyer 'Vengeance' reported of a dogfight between the 315th and an unidentified starfighter in the Tarneb system. When 'Vengeance' no longer received comtraffic from the TIE squadron they went to investigate, they received a visual confirmation of a CSF making a jump into hyperspace. They made a scan of the area and found no other signs of life, they did however find the remains of the four TIE's that were sent out on a scouting mission." He paused to check his notes. "Once a thorough search was made of the system they found no other signs of life. They plotted a likely course the fighter would take and went off in pursuit."   
  
"We later received a report from Kuat Drive Yards that a CSF had come into the system. Our men at the KDY made a search of the docking platforms and found a fighter that matched the descriptions of the one that blasted off from Coruscant. They questioned a local salesman who gave into the interrogation the   
troops put him through. He informed them that he had received the ship as a trade in for a YT-2800 Corellian freighter, though he would not reveal who he sold the ship to. We later found out a YT-2800 had attacked the Bounty Hunter Boba Fett's personal ship 'Slave I'. They were able to disable it for the   
time being. We lost track of the freighter until we received word from the spaceport on Ord Mantell that a YT-2800 had attacked the planetary defenses. The defense team was going out on a routine search when they were attacked. All members were destroyed. We have not been able to find the freighter since."   
  
"Thank you captain. Keep me informed on any other leads you come across. I also want all security holos form Ord Mantell and Kuat searched through until you can find that alien who cheated us. I also want still holos of anyone who is seen hanging around her. I want a bounty of one hundred and fifty thousand on each of her accomplices heads. I also want the bounty on her head increased to five hundred thousand, she is also to be unharmed." Derricote said his plump face growing red as the blood rushed to it. "Have you heard anything else on Major Fenel?"   
  
"No sir, we believe he is still being held captive by this strange alien. We have not received a ransom yet, we are still waiting on that." The captain responded keeping his posture military precise.   
  
"Thank you captain that will be all." Derricote finished and went back to work with his plants. His face gradually went back to its normal color as he engrossed himself into the last plants from Alderaan.   
  
  
Davro and Kayylla entered the lounge side by side moments later. Riley had finished setting the table in the booth, when she noticed their arrival. She gave Kayylla a sly smile and headed back to the food prep in the corner.   
  
"Since our supplies are dwindling I had to whip something up from a mix of a few rations and some items from the food prep. I've put in plenty of spices to at least give it some flavor." She said once she placed a steaming pot of something in the middle of the table.   
  
As Kayylla slid into the booth she wrinkled her nose at the contents in the pot.   
  
"I don't want any of that either. At least try it, it's not like it's going to kill you." Riley commented when she saw Kayylla's disapproving look at the meal.   
  
"What did I do?" Kayylla teased her friend.   
  
"Don't make me beat you." Riley responded after placing a server into the pot.   
  
"That will have to wait until the meal is over, that is if we don't die first." Kayylla added ducking the dish rag Riley had thrown at her.   
  
"Is there anytime when you two aren't fighting?" Jace asked as he started spooning everyone up a plate of Riley's concoction.   
  
"What this? Oh this isn't fighting. Riley doesn't like it when I tell her the truth about her cooking skills." Kayylla responded handing a plate to Davro.   
  
"It may not be the food that will kill you." Riley said as she sat next to Jace.   
  
"Could we please eat 'one' meal that you two don't bicker through?" Jace asked with a smile and putting a stop to the argument. He didn't wait for the silence to linger for long before he asked Davro a question. "So Dav, what do you plan on doing once you sell you N-1? Head back to 'The Rock' and get back on with your life?" He finished with a smirk.   
  
Everyone, except Kayylla's, eyes were fixed on Davro and waited for his answer.   
  
"Still considering my options..." he started, sampling the food. "Mmmm, this is really pretty good." He flashed a quick grin at Riley, then turned back to Jace. "I'll contact some of the old crew when we arrive. Captain Culley should still be around, he retired on Dantooine. Between them, I should be able to gather some intelligence on what's going on, maybe contact the collector and let him know the fighter is ready."   
  
"Then I can probably assume that you will be staying with us right?" Jace asked around a mouthful of food. "I think we need to find a way to clear Kayylla's name from the Empires files. From there we can all get on with our lives. Maybe one of your friends can help." He asked looking at Davro.   
  
But before Davro could answer the question Kayylla spoke up. "I don't really think kidnapping can be erased from anyone's files." Kayylla responded not looking at anyone.   
  
"What?" Davro and Jace asked.   
  
"I knew Mezz wouldn't have told you everything back there." She answered. With that she stood up on the bench she was sitting on, stepped up onto the table, making sure she didn't knock anything over and jumped to the deck. She landed without a sound and headed towards the hold.   
  
No one said anything until after Kayylla left.   
  
"What does she mean kidnapping? Who did she kidnap?" Jace asked turning to Riley.   
  
"We didn't want to worry either of you with it. The reason I was on Ord Mantell was because I saw a warrant out for Kayylla's arrest. It barely mentioned her gypping the Empire. She's wanted for your kidnapping." She said looking at Jace. "I'm sure by now they have holo's of each of us. So whether we like it or not, we may not be able to go our separate ways for awhile." She added.   
  
They sat there in silence, no one talking or looking at one another. Jace finally broke in. "I'm going to go and talk to her." He said.   
  
Without a word Riley got up from the bench. "Are you sure? I can go and speak with her." She suggested once Jace had left the booth.   
  
"No, I think I'm the one who should talk with her. After all, it mostly my fault the Empire's after her." He answered giving Riley a look that stopped the argument there, and walked towards the hold.   
  
Riley glanced at Davro, who merely shrugged in response.   
  
It didn't take him long to reach the hold. From inside he heard muffled sound followed by grunts of exertion. Stepping to the opened entrance way Jace saw what was making the noise, it was Kayylla. She had a bag of some sort in front of her, or rather it was infront of her until she kicked or punched it which sent it off in a new direction.   
  
He stood there in awe at her agility and grace. In all his years of service to the Empire he had never seen a combatant who possessed those qualities. From his own combat training he could see that each blow she executed would have been fatal on any living being. He watched her waiting for a break so he could talk with her. Finding none he decided he'd better interrupt at a safe distance.   
  
"Wouldn't it be more effective if your victim could fight back?" he asked from the entrance way.   
  
Upon hearing the voice Kayylla whirled around staying in an attack position. Her auburn hair was plastered to her face, green eyes silted in concentration and small beads of sweat were trickling down her face. Recognition dawned on her face and she relaxed her stance.   
  
"Most of my victims never live long enough to fight back." She answered picking up a towel from the deck to dry her face.   
  
"Why didn't you tell me why the Empire was really after you? I could have done something to prevent it from going this far." He asked taking a few steps towards her.   
  
"I didn't know I was charged for kidnapping until Riley met up with us on Ord Mantell. To many things were happening at once, I guess it slipped my mind." She answered staying where she was. "I should never have brought you into this in the first place." She added.   
  
"You only invited me. I was MY choice whether or not to accept your invitation. I saw an opportunity for me to escape the empires control and their twisted idea about non-humans. I'll turn myself in and explain everything." Jace explained.   
  
"No!" She said with force. "They would try you as a traitor and execute you. I can't allow that." She added throwing the towel to the deck. "I'm sorry. I'm not the one who should decide what you do and don't do. I don't want you to leave though. We make a great team. We all owe our lives to you, if you hadn't taken the controls when you did I'm sure the uglies back there would have disabled the ship we would have been   
caught." She finished starring up at him and taking in his features. He had changed since they had left Coruscant almost a standard month earlier. He had allowed the hair around his mouth to grow out. He no longer looked like the Imperial officer she had met early that Coruscant morning.   
  
He stood there arms across his chest giving her the opportunity to continue if she wished. Seeing that she had finished he responded with his own plan. "I'm willing to accept other ideas, but if I don't like them I'll go back to my own. I promise I will not reveal anything about what has gone on since my defection."   
  
'Had he heard any of Riley's explanation about their species?' she asked herself. 'No that's impossible he was out of the ship being shot at by the bounty hunters when Riley and Davro had their talk.' She was about to voice her question but thought better of it. "Fine, lets go work out a plan with the others." She said as she headed towards the lounge once again.   
  
"Where did you learn to fight like that? I've never seen anyone fight they way you do." He asked changing the subject.   
  
"Many, many years of practice." Was all she said.   
  
  



	7. Chapter VII

Upon returning to the lounge, Kayylla and Jace discovered Davro seemingly asleep in his seat at the table. As they reached to wake him, his eyes shot open, then regarded them with a degree of amusement.   
  
"I think I might have an answer for our problems. I want you all to come with me when I pay my respects to Captain Culley on Dantooine. He has contacted me, and is pleased that we are already en route to him." Davro focused on Kayylla. "Culley has become more powerful in the ways of The Force, and has been actively avoiding detection by the Empire. He says that the Rebellion is up against something big. There was an Imperial scout ship there about a week ago, looking into the remains of a Rebel base, but they didn't find the real outpost there. He wants me to get in touch with them and see if they need anything...." He paused, then looked to Jace. "My advice to you; join the Rebellion. If you turned yourself in, they would execute you as a deserter; either way, they would execute the rest of us as kidnappers. It seems that our only real chance would be to make it to a Rebel safehouse somewhere. And, the Rebellion could always use experienced officers who are familiar with Imperial procedure.....think you're up to it, Jace?"   
  
"What?" Riley screeched as she stood from the table drawing everyone's attention to her. "Your Force sensitive and you didn't tell us?"   
  
"He'll explain later." Kayylla shot back at her before Davro could say anything. "Let's deal with one question at a time."   
  
Riley eased herself back down in her seat, willing to wait for Davro's explanation to what he had just revealed.   
  
All eyes were now on Jace, wondering what his answer would be. He stood there, arms folded in front of him with one hand pulling at the hair on his chin. "When I had first thought about defecting, I wanted to join the Rebellion. I wondered how they would greet me once they found out I was an Imperial officer. The Empire is slowly losing power in many of the Outer Rim Systems. I guess switching sides it the best thing I can do, count me in on this. How long until we jump back in?" Jace asked Kayylla once he finished his answer.   
  
"We'll be jumping back into real space in a few hours." She answered trying to untangle her hair with her fingers as a comb. "Why?"   
  
But before Jace could answer Riley interrupted again. "Before we start asking questions, could someone please answer mine?" She asked looking at Davro from across the table.   
  
"Sorry for keeping certain facts about myself concealed. A potential Jedi can't be too careful around Imperials, no Offense meant, Jace.....", Davro started. "Captain Culley is a Jedi Knight, he finished his training near the close of the Clone Wars. When the Empire began hunting down the Jedi, his former master ordered him to flee and go into hiding, to preserve the ways of the Jedi for the future. He became an unassuming trader, then turned to the Rebellion to find possible new students to teach the ways of the Force, but always in secrecy. He sensed that the Force was with me, so he took me as a Padawan learner. I was about half-trained when we parted company, so I still have much to learn. I can't send my thoughts to others across space yet, but I can hear him when he calls to me. He also taught me to use this....". Davro fishes into his pack, and from it's bottom he pulls the gleaming cylinder of a lightsaber. Activating it, a brilliant blue blade sprung to life, illuminating the lounge. "This saber belonged to Culley, he passed in on to me when he retired. Hopefully, I might be able to complete my training. I feel that I may have great need for the skills of the Jedi soon...". Davro shuts off the lightsaber and stows back in his pack. He sits back down, a pensive look upon his face. "If you have anymore questions, ask. I won't keep anything else from you."   
  
Within a couple of hours, they dropped out of hyperspace near Dantooine. A quick scan revealed no Imperial vessels in the area. A few minutes after arriving, they received a hail on their comm.   
  
"Attention, unidentified YT-2800 freighter. This is Lt. Jarik Fron, Wolf Squadron, Rebel Alliance. Is there a Capt. Davro Stfal aboard your vessel? Repeat, is there a Capt. Davro Stfal aboard your vessel? We have been sent by retired Capt. Beronar Culley to be on the lookout for a freighter of your type entering this system, in order to direct you to a safe landing area."   
  
Two pairs of X-Wings soon swooped into view to either side of the freighter, their S-foils closed in a non-aggressive posture. They kept their distance from the freighter, not wanting to run the chance of colliding.   
  
Davro went to the communications chair and returned the hail. "This is Capt. Stfal, I am aboard this vessel, Lieutenant. What's this about 'leading us in for a safe landing'."   
  
"Sir, the main port on Dantooine is a trap. Imperial troops have taken over the docking facilities and are searching all incoming vessels. We are here to lead you to our outpost and protect you from any possible fighter ambushes. Intelligence tells us that an Imperial Star Destroyer is en route here to pickup scout forces. You can set-down and refuel at the outpost. We'll lead you in and fly cover for you."   
  
"Affirmative. We'll stick right with you..."   
  
"Yes, sir! Three, Four, you hang back fly rearguard. Two and I will take lead."   
  
"Copy, Wolf Leader!", replied Three and Four as they dropped their speed to fall behind them all.   
  
Kayylla followed the two leading X-Wings closely. "I hope this is on the level."   
  
Even though there was no sign of Imperial craft, tensions were mounting as they sped to their unknown destination. Circling to the dark side of Dantooine, they dropped through the atmosphere toward a narrow canyon, just large enough for the freighter to maneuver down. They followed it's course, eventually running to the base a mountain where the canyon became a cave opening in it's side. The fighters slowed and entered the cave, their landing lights shining in the darkness. Around a bend, there sat the landing area, cut from the rock of the mountains roots. Lighting brilliantly shone, turning the scene to daylight. The craft all set down, ground crews and droids moving to refuel and service the new arrivals. Kayylla cycled the hatch and lowered the ramp, then led the band from the freighter's now-resting mass.   
  
The moment Davro stepped from the ramp and into the hangar, a great cheer went up, along with statements of "Look, it's him!" and "There he is!". A group of applauding techs and pilots stood all around them as they moved toward the Operations hatch. Lt. Fron caught up with them, and vigorously shook Davro's hand.   
  
"Sir, I just wanted to let you know that if you ever go fully active with the Rebellion again, Wolf Squadron will take you with no hesitation.". He threw Davro a hasty salute. "I need to coordinate another patrol, if you'll excuse me....", he said, turning and running back to his subordinates.   
  
"Um, sure...", Davro uttered, looking thoroughly confused. "What the hell is this all about? They're acting like I've just blew up a star destroyer single-handed..."   
  
A whistle went up from the back of the hangar, causing Davro to climb onto a service tractor to better find it's source. From his vantage point, he spied an old fellow in an equally-old Captain's uniform. "Culley!", he shouted, as he jogged back to see his friend from years ago. They gripped each other in an embrace seen only by brothers-in-arms who had seen many traumatic battles. Though slightly bent with age, Culley still bore himself with a ease of movement that showed he was still an able warrior despite the years.   
  
"Davro...", Culley began. "You have fared well over the years, my young friend. Come, you and your friends would probably like a little rest. We have much to celebrate, in this one meeting we have reunited captain and first officer, master and student, and two sons of Corellia." Culley smiled widely and motioned for Kayylla, Jace, and Riley to come forward.  
  
After shaking their hands and introducing himself, Culley led them back through the network of hallways to the Mess Hall and Recreation area. They entered and were greeted by another loud cheer and the spicy aroma of freshly baked rhyscate.   
  
"Culley," Davro spoke in his friend's ear. "Why are we being hailed like this?"   
  
"Davro, you have been dubbed as a rolemodel for the time being. Half of the Rebellion has seen the sensor footage of your battle at The Rock. The satellites in the asteroid field were to reactivate upon detecting weapons fire. The signal was automatically bounced from The Rock to the nearest Commbase, then relayed to other installations." Culley smiled for a moment. "The sight of that old N-1 blowing TIE's to bits was an inspiration to our fighter jockeys. That's why you're getting cheered; the unknown N-1 pilot who scrapped four Imps single-handed in a technically inferior craft. There has been talk of using it as a recruitment holo to get more hot bushpilots in our ranks...", Culley commented as he led them to the refreshment table and began cutting pieces of rhyscate for them.   
  
Kayylla and Riley took their offered pieces of cake and stood back from the rebels. Jace was talking with some of the officers about something or other.  
  
"It looks like they've found some friends who will look after them." Riley said after finishing her piece of spiced cake.  
  
"We can't leave them here. Not with a price on all our heads."  
  
"And how many of the beings here also have prices of their heads? I'm pretty sure that is a requirement to join the Rebellion." Riley said in a hushed tone so those around her could not hear.  
  
"I'm sure most of the pilots and techs have prices on their heads, but they probably earned theirs." Kayylla snapped back.  
  
"How do you know that Davro doesn't already have a price on his head?"  
  
"He probably does but he doesn't need a kidnapping charge added to it. Let's drop it for now and mingle with the rebels. We might learn something." With that she disappeared into the crowd.  
  
As Riley and Kayylla began to mingle with the Rebels, the sensor footage began playing over the holo-projector in the middle of the room, with cheers and whistles sounding sporadically. The sequence played through, and the room began chanting "Speech!" until Davro reluctantly stood on a table and quieted them. He cleared his throat, then spoke.   
  
"Thank you all for such a welcome as I will never forget. The pilots I faced were good, but two of them were green; the first I shot, and the second, who they sent to get help. The third was an excellent pilot, as good as any in this room. But the fourth, I took no comfort in destroying, because he was an honorable man. He held his fire until I had recovered enough to fly, and even then, he opened the distance in the   
effort to give me a fighting chance. I am ashamed that I had to shoot him in the back.". He paused for a moment, then continued.   
  
"I want all of you to remember, that even though the Empire's ways and policies may be oppressive and wrong, there are still loyal, brave, and good-hearted soldiers and pilots who may be wearing the armor or flying the fighters, only because the Imperial doctrine is all they have known or been taught. Once this war is won and the banner of the Republic waves again, then we can truly rebuild and heal. But victory is still far away....". He stepped down off the table and walked off toward the door, heading out quickly and rounding a corner.   
  
Culley caught up with Davro sometime later in Davro's quarters.   
  
"Care to talk about it, Davro? You know you can count on me to keep whatever you say in confidence..."   
  
He looked up at his old friend from his bunk, searching for the words. As usual, Culley seemed to second-guess what he was going to say, and said it for him.   
  
"You think that your having to kill will hamper your training? No, my faithful student.....you fought in defense of others; your friends, the outpost that the Rebellion uses, all the things you have worked to repair and build. Fighting and killing while defending others is not the way of the Dark Side." He motioned for Davro to get up. "Come, young apprentice....it is time for you to complete your training. First, you must construct your lightsaber. I have all the parts you might need, but I cannot help you build it. You must ask the Force for guidance, and listen to what it tells you."   
  
Culley led Davro to his living area, a Spartan room with plenty of space, but festooned with many small planters set on shelves and placed in niches in the walls. It gave the room an almost airy feel to it. Indeed, Davro could almost feel the Force more clearly here because of the plants living around him.   
  
Davro almost immediately moved to the small workbench in the corner where the parts lay, some familiar, some alien to him. He cleared his mind as Culley taught him, and seemed immediately swept into a giant schematic that ran under his feet. Voices from the ether whispered to him, telling him where to start and what to use. He listened, wondering how he would remember all that they said, but he pushed that concern   
aside, opened his eyes, reached for some parts, and began building in earnest.   
  
After what seemed like only minutes of fitting, adjusting, soldering, welding, and sealing, Davro looked up from the workbench and turned toward Culley, who was seated nearby and smiling proudly at his student.   
  
"Perhaps you should try it out?", Culley suggested.   
  
Davro nodded slightly, then picked up the sleek, silver and black cylinder. He pointed it away from himself and Culley, then depressed the red stud on the grip. A brilliant shaft of vibrant amber light sprung forth to a distance a meter, it's hum moderately pitched, almost musical to the ear. Davro simply marveled at it's beauty as he moved it through some test cuts. Culley seemed about to burst.   
  
"Well done, Davro....but you'll need to get some rest for tomorrow's test. Return here in the morning, and we will prepare you for what is to come. Good night..."   
  
Davro bowed to Culley, then left for his room. Out of curiosity, he checked his chronograph, and was stunned to find that six hours had passed since he started building his lightsaber. Trying not to think about it, he hurried to his quarters.   
  
Davro slept fitfully, his dreams invaded by visions of a world he had never been to, populated by Kayylla's race, that were being attacked and slaughtered in vast numbers. The dream faded and he awoke in darkness, but feeling a presence in the room with him. Not making a sound, he closed his eyes, calmed   
himself, and reached out to the Force to help him find the other person in the room. Slowly, he opened his eyes and scanned the room. He knew it was still pitch dark, yet he could somehow see all, as if through a mist. He could make out someone curled on the spare bunk against the opposite wall. He fumbled around for a moment, then willed his lightsaber to his hand, activated it, then lunged and stood over the figure, and waited for it to respond.  
  
Riley was awakened when the room was lit by a soft amber light above her.   
  
"It's about time you woke up." She said as she rolled over on the bunk to face him.   
  
Davro stood there, lightsaber poised above his head and stared blankly at her. Finally comprehending what had just transpired. "What are you doing here?" He asked once he found his voice.  
  
"I'm sure you have a few questions you would like to ask me concerning a dream you may have had recently." Riley answered as she swung her legs over the side of the bunk. Placing her hands on top of her knees she waited for his questions.   
  
Davro switched off his lightsaber and turned on the lights. He leaned against the door frame and looked to Riley. "How did you know I was dreaming, let alone what I might have been dreaming about?", he asked, crossing his arms over his bare chest, still wearing only his pants out of habit and having been too tired to fully undress when he went to bed. He seemed to have an air of being trustworthy about him, yet still resembled the same freebooter and possible scoundrel that Riley saw for the first time on Ord Mantell. He cocked his head to one side and arched an eyebrow as he waited for Riley's reply.   
  
  
  
  



End file.
